All in the Cards
by Killthespares
Summary: The Card Kingdoms Stand United. ...of course, this would be a lot easier if Hearts had their King. It's too bad that Oikawa Tooru emphatically does not want the job. Meanwhile, the threat of war looms on the horizon and Hinata Shouyou just uncovered a plot that could rock the entire kingdom to the core.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, this fic came about because from my love of the cardverse AU, Haikyuu, spies, and politics in a medieval/royalty setting. So if any of those are your thing, then this might be up your alley. Barring unforeseen technological problems, this story will post every Saturday. As a side note for any waiting for the sequel to my Harry Potter AU, that's going to start being posted Friday. **Don't repost without permission**. As an additional warning, the rating is for violence and language. Last, this fic will have slash pairings so if those are not your thing, then you've been warned.

As always, hope you enjoy and always feel free to leave a review!

 _ooooooo_

" _Mama, tell me a story!"_

" _A story? What kind of story do you want to hear, my darling?"_

" _The Card Kingdom, Mama! Tell me about the Card Kingdom!"_

" _But, you already heard that story yesterday. Are you sure you don't want a different one?"_

" _Please, Mama! Please! I want to hear it again!"_

" _Well, alright, my bright sun, then let's start at the beginning. Are you ready?"_

" _Yes!"_

" _A long, long time ago, centuries and centuries, generation and generation, two Fates-Order and Chaos-descended from the sky. When they got to the land, they saw that the kingdoms all around it had descended into war-a bloody, bloody war, killing millions, lasting for over a hundred years."_

" _What did they do?"_

" _The Fates used their magic to form their own kingdom, a kingdom that would bring peace to the land. And this kingdom was divided into four Suits: the kingdoms of Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, and Spades."_

" _Spades is where we live! Right, Mama?"_

" _Exactly right, Shouyou. And these four kingdoms would each have their own four rulers, each generation called forth by destiny. The greatest magician would be called to serve as Queen. The smartest in the land would serve as Jack. And, last, would be a King to lead the others."_

" _Mama! You forgot one!"_

" _Did I now and exactly which one would that be, my darling?"_

" _The Ace! You forgot about the Ace!"_

" _How silly of me. A Queen, a Jack, a King, and-finally-an Ace chosen to be the best warrior of all the kingdom. Together, these four would rule their part of the kingdom while working with the other Suits to make the Card Kingdom prosper. And each of them would be known by the symbol of their Suit: on the King's hand to point the way, over the Queen's heart to light the path, by the Jack's head to plan the journey, at the Ace's arm to hold up the rest. These marks are how we know our leaders."_

" _Like this one! Right, Mama? I have the mark of the Ace!"_

" _Yes, Shouyou, like that one. Now, let me finish the story. We're almost done. The Fates created the kingdom and then became human, so that they could watch the kingdom to make sure it prospered, only appearing at the most dire circumstances. They became Jesters. But, before they disappeared, they gave one final gift to the Card Kingdom. To each Ace, as they had the job of fighting for peace in the midst of so much war, they gave an extra blessing of their magic. Each kingdom and generation affected differently."_

" _What's mine, Mama!? I want to know mine!"_

" _Oh, my bright sun, you won't know that until you Claim your title and formally become Ace. No one will know until then."_

" _Awww, then I want to Claim my title now!"_

" _No, Shouyou! You may only Claim your title once you're older. It's too dangerous now!"_

" _But, Mama…"_

" _No. Keep your title secret until you are ready to Claim it. If not, you'll put not only yourself but everyone in the village in danger. Do you understand?"_

" _...Yes, Mama."_

" _Good. But, Shouyou, listen to me and listen to me closely. If ever you're in danger, the first thing you should do is go to the palace. Go to the palace, find the Queen and show them your mark. Only them. The palace will protect you. Promise me?"_

" _Okay, Mama. I promise."_

 _ooooooo_

Twenty years after that promise, Hinata Shouyou was opening his eyes to a stone room before the first rays of dawn had even crossed the sky. He sat up and yawned, orange hair sticking in all directions as he tried to dispel what was a half a dream and half a memory.

Blearily, he looked around to take in the soft grey of the castle stones and the messy, semi-constant state of chaos of his room. Deciding he'd probably gotten enough sleep to justify getting up, he slid off his sleep tunic and began the task of getting ready. This early, he might even be able to get some training in before breakfast!

His hand brushed idly over his shoulder where a black spade symbol lay, almost looking like a tattoo if not for the golden "A" inlaid within the middle of it. Mindlessly, his finger traced the letter that signified the title as Claimed.

Hinata shook his head, throwing off the last remnants of the dream. He had to hurry if he wanted any time before he had breakfast with Suga. Gah, where did he put his shoes?

Finally finding all of his clothes and throwing them on in at least a vaguely respectable order, Hinata banged out of his room and jogged down to the far east tower.

At twenty-five, Hinata had been at the palace for eighteen years now. Eighteen years since raiders from Nohebi had attacked his village and a seven year old Hinata had alone made his way to the castle. Eighteen years since he'd met Suga and Claimed his title as Ace of Spades. Eighteen years since the old Jack of Spades, Takeda, had taken over raising him and he'd started his training. Twelve years since he'd started missions as the Ace.

And, really, if you asked Hinata, they had been a fairly good eighteen years. He loved his friends and he loved his job-well, technically, jobs since one of them was a cover for his work as Ace of Spades.

Oh, yeah, that was one thing. Outside of a very, _very_ small group of people, no one actually knew Hinata was the Ace of Spades. But, hey, as Tsuki always pointed out, that was probably a good thing.

Hinata came to a stop at the far east tower. The tower was the tallest in all of the castle, which would have made it a fairly popular destination if it didn't look like it would fall down if a strong breeze hit it. The East Tower looked like it hadn't had any kind of upkeep in _generations_ with old rickety stairs, moss covered stone, and creepy sounding wind that rolled through broken windows.

Hinata loved it so much that if they'd let him, he'd live here. See, like Hinata, the East Tower also had a secret title-The Spy Tower. And, as the Ace of Spades-the greatest spy and assassin in the Card Kingdoms-the East Tower was like Hinata's home.

Hinata slipped in between hanging moss and the broken windows, easing rotted wood to reveal the part of the tower that was _much_ less dilapidated than it appeared on the outside.

He let out a pleased sigh as the inside of the tower revealed large open spaces for training, stacked bales of hay like the knights would use to practice swordsmanship, target stands, and metal bars that Tsuki had a forger make special (and discreetly) for the tower inhabitants to practice climbing and swinging off roofs.

With a whoop, Hinata threw himself onto the floor, stretching into a back handspring, a flip, and then ending by twisting into a simple cartwheel. He stood, looking out on the floor with a grin.

"Shouyou?" a voice asked, groggily.

Hinata looked over and winced slightly, noting the bags under Asahi's eyes. He forgot that the others might not be up quite yet.

"What are you doing here so early," Asahi asked, leaning on the bales of hay and looking like he might fall asleep there.

"I couldn't sleep," Hinata answered sheepishly. "Sorry for waking you up. Did you have a mission last night?"

Asahi shook his head, letting out a yawn. "Don't worry about it. You couldn't have woken me up 'cause I haven't gone to sleep yet. I've been up all night working on the new paralytic poison I've been talking about."

"OHH-Can I see-no, wait," Hinata forcefully pushed down his excitement to try for a scolding expression, which probably would have been more effective if Hinata had gotten more than two hours of sleep himself. "You should go to bed. What if you have another mission tonight and get tired during it?"

Asahi rolled his eyes lazily and ruffled Hinata's hair. "Shouyou, I've watched you go on missions for the last decade. You don't get to lecture anyone on overworking. Besides," Asahi grimaced. "Noya and Shimizu both had missions last night, so I doubt I'll have any soon."

 _And Asahi couldn't sleep until they were both in safe_ , Hinata read in the unspoken words. Ugh, if there was one thing being a spy had taught him, it was listening more to what people didn't say than what they did. Honestly, why couldn't everyone just say what they meant like Hinata?

"Are Noya and Shimizu both still asleep," Hinata asked instead.

Asahi nodded, a touch of relief crossing his face. "Perfect mission, not a single bruise. And don't worry about waking them up. I'm not sure if even the tower falling down could wake them."

Hinata smiled back though he had a feeling Asahi was lying through his teeth. People in their line of work don't live long by sleeping deep and Noya and Shimizu were two of the best spies in Spades.

"Mind if I see the new poison then," Hinata asked, choosing a quieter activity in respect for the tower residents. "You're so lucky you three actually get to live here!"

Asahi sent a wry look to the bits of moss and decay that could still be seen blocking off the windows. "If you say so. You know the only reason they won't let you live here is because you have a cover to maintain...well, that and you'd never get any sleep with training."

"Still lucky," Hinata grumbled, but followed Asahi up the-happily, not at all deteriorated-stairs to the potion's lab.

It was common knowledge around Spades that the Ace of Spades was the only active spy and assassin in all of the Card Kingdom. Like a lot of common knowledge, this was completely false. Other than Hinata and not including Tsuki's various informants, there were three active spies that worked for Spades-Noya, Asahi, and Shimizu. There used to be even more back when Hinata was younger-before he was able to take on the role full time. As the current Queen and Jack of Spades of the time were neither insane nor callous enough to send a seven year old on dangerous, life threatening missions; a small, loyal, and highly secretive group of spies briefly acted as the Ace of Spades-taking on the costume and the mission to throw off the scent of who had taken over the role. As Hinata got older, more trained, and could actually take over missions, the organization wheedled down with all members getting significant reimbursements for their silence. Now, despite being fully trained, three spies were kept on to fulfill the missions Hinata was unavailable for. Also, as an added bonus, the additional spies helped add to the mystery and fear surrounding the Ace of Spades. With multiple people, the Ace of Spades could be anywhere and everywhere.

Plus, Hinata really liked the company and ability to actually talk to people who knew both of his identities.

Hinata happily spent the rest of the pre-dawn morning in Asahi's lab, listening to the older man explain in his soft voice about various chemical properties and effects of his new concoction. Smiling, Hinata thought to himself that there was no way anyone would mistake the soft spoken giant for the deadliest poisoner in the kingdom.

Shortly after dawn, Asahi and Hinata heard the entrance to the tower loudly creak open-a purposefully noisy entrance way to alert anyone in the tower of another's presence.

"Hinata, are you in here?" A voice called.

"I'm up here, Yachi! One second." Hinata called back, waving goodbye to Asahi and silently urging him to the makeshift bed in the corner of the lab. That done, Hinata bound down the stairs until he came face to face with the petite blonde.

"Just was talking to Asahi," Hinata told her. "What's the plan for today?"

Yachi smiled softly, looking down at her notes. "You're supposed to be bringing the Queen breakfast in about half an hour, then you're checking in with the King until after lunch, last you're going to help Tsuki with some 'chores he needs you to run around town'."

Hinata frowned at the last one. "What does Tsuki actually want me doing?"

Yachi shook her head. "I'm not sure. He heard a rumor this morning but was still looking into it when I left."

Hinata nodded, accepting that he'd have to wait to find out more. "Okay, awesome, want to walk with me to the kitchens?"

Yachi smiled again. "Sure, I need to check if they've prepared a menu for the Summer Festival anyway."

The two headed out of the tower, Hinata holding out some of the debris and trick doors for Yachi while she rambled off the top of her head about at least a dozen taks that she was in the middle of working on. Not for the first time, Hinata thought that Yachi had to be the most competent person in the entire kingdom. The small woman was the same age as Hinata, yet somehow had become the Head of all of the palace staff and the Senior Assistant to the Jack of Spades all in the space of eight years.

"...and the knights added _another_ five recruits. _Five_ , Hinata?! Now, I need to see how we can rearrange the kitchen budget because you _know_ those knights eat more than should be possible. I mean honestly!"

Hinata nodded along, adding in the appropriate "ohhh's" and "really's" when needed, until they got to the kitchen.

"Oh, and...well, I guess, I'll tell you later," Yachi said, looking around the kitchen for the Head Chef. Finding him, she shot one more look at Hinata. "Oh, and Hinata do make sure _you_ actually eat lunch, too, before checking in with Tsuki."

Hinata smiled, shooting her a thumbs up before she got swept away in another task.

"Hey, lad," one of the kitchen workers waved to him. "Here for the Queen's breakfast?"

"Yeah," Hinata nodded and was handed a giant covered platter of assorted meat and fruit.

"Hard to believe the Queen actually can eat this much," the worker commented, making sure Hinata had a good grip on the plate. "Almost enough for two people."

Hinata shrugged lightly in response.

"Well, off you go," the worker bid him off. "Mind what the lass said and make sure you drop by here for lunch."

"Thanks," Hinata called back as he already headed off to the hall, making sure to give a "good morning" to the various palace worker that he passed on his way.

To everyone in the palace who wasn't aware of Hinata's role as Ace of Spades-so pretty much to everyone-Hinata was simply known as the official courier of Spades along with manservant to the Suit when he was in the palace long enough. Tsuki and Hinata had set it up years ago to give Hinata a convenient and easily confirmed back story to excuse his visits to the rest of the Spade's Suit in their private quarters so much along with allowing for why he was absent from the palace for long periods of time-usually, actually on longer missions. Besides, Hinata didn't ever mind having to do some additional chores around the palace. It kept him busy and let him talk to people.

Hinata headed off to the the north side of the castle where the Queen of Spades' private chambers were located. It was apparent to anyone why the Queen chose this part of the castle as the warm open halls practically sung with magic in the air, making anyone who entered feel a stirring presence down to their bones.

Finding the proper room, Hinata lightly knocked on the chamber door.

"Come on in, Hinata!" a bright voice called out and with a small sweep of magic, the door swung open in front of him.

Sugawara Koushi, the Queen of Spades and the best magician in the entire kingdom, smiled happily at him from the small eating table in the middle of the room.

"Hey, Suga," Hinata greeted back, closing the door behind him and feeling the magic lock back around the room. "Anything cool planned for today?"

Suga grimaced, the expression sitting oddly on his normally smiling face. "Going over finances again to prepare a budget report for the Summer Festival. Honestly, it's not like the kingdom's doing bad financially or anything, it's just making sure we've got _every_ little expense planned and accounted for and it's going to drive me crazy."

Hinata sat the breakfast trey down on the table and dropped into the opposite seat. "Ugh, that sounds so boring, Suga!"

Suga agreed ruefully. "You sure you don't want to swap in and try being Queen of Spades instead of Ace?"

On instinct, Hinata's face twisted down like he had bit a lemon. "No thanks, I'm good being Ace. Besides, the people love you. No way they'd settle for another Queen."

"Pretty words to get out of paper work," Suga laughed. "I guess it's a good thing swapping titles is impossible then. Come on, dig in before the breakfast gets cold."

Hinata smiled, grabbing bites off Suga's breakfast platter as he did every morning.

If anyone ever really took a chance to look closely at the Queen of Spades, they'd notice that he looked to be roughly the same age of Hinata, maybe one or two years older. Definitely, not anywhere older than late twenties. It was the same way, he looked last year. The same way he looked over ten years ago when Hinata had taken over as Ace of Spades. The same way as when a seven year old Hinata first met him. The same way he looked a hundred years ago.

Of the Spades Suit, the Queen of Spades was...unique. Visitors to the Card Kingdom always found it shocking that, first, the King and Queen weren't romantically involved or in any way related and, second, that the title for the Queen of Spades actually belonged to a man. Gender never played into the titles of the Card Kingdom. A woman could as easily be a King or an Ace as a man could be a Queen or a Jack. No, what was truly unusual about the Queen of Spades was the fact that Sugawara Koushi hadn't aged in over one hundred and fifty years-four generations of Suits with which Suga had held the title of Queen throughout all. The thing about magic is that it could always be bent to the magician's needs. While everyone had an innate ability to do it, few were really talented at it. And the four Queens of the Card Kingdom made talented look like novice. If someone say was the strongest magician in all of Spades, then it would be no trouble for that person to slow down their aging to a sudden halt. And, as long as the magic behind Spades still found that person worthy and had not named another, that person could theoretically stay Queen for as long as the kingdom needed them. And, if there was one thing that the whole country could agree on, it was that Sugawara Koushi was the best Queen of Spades to have ever lived.

Hinata glanced up as Suga smiled brightly at him, sliding the last piece of ham over to him. Hinata smiled back, offering a small thank you.

"So, what've you got planned for today," Suga asked him as Hinata swallowed his last bite.

Hinata shrugged. "Same old for the most part. I think Tsuki has something for me this afternoon."

Suga tilted his head. "Did Tsukishima tell you what it's about?"

Hinata shook his head. "Yachi just told me he wanted to see me."

Suga hummed lightly. "Well, between the two of you, I'm sure it'll be handled quickly," he frowned again. "Unlike that horrible budget report."

Hinata laughed, standing up and heading for the door. He grabbed the empty platter as he left. "Bye, Suga, I've gotta get down to the King's side of the castle within the hour. See you tomorrow morning. Good luck with the budget."

The Queen of Spades groaned lightly but gave a small wave in response, canceling the magic for Hinata to leave.

Hinata slipped out of the room, making sure the door shut behind him before heading back to the kitchen to drop off the empty platter. The King's side of the castle was to the south, opposite the Queen's, and the King-of course-preferred his private chambers at the very top of the highest tower on that side of the castle. Meaning that, even giving himself an hours time, Hinata still barely made it to the King's private chambers in time for his shift.

In contrast to the polite knock he'd given to Suga's (magical and entirely possible sentient) door, Hinata banged loudly on the heavy wood that marked the King's chambers.

"Oi, open up!" Hinata yelled, continuing to hammer his fist on the door. "Come on, I already climbed up the stupid staircase! Don't make me wait."

The door swung open and the King of Spades glared down at him.

"You are the _worst_ servant in the entire kingdom," the King growled out.

Hinata smiled, utterly unperturbed. "Only cause you'd hate it any other way, Your Highness. Now, come on, let me in and stop blocking the door, Dummy!"

The King rolled his eyes but stepped away from the door, allowing Hinata passage.

As opposed to the light open feeling of Suga's chambers, the King's were closed off and cluttered-filled with all different kind of books and lit almost entirely by candle light.

Hinata moved a pile of books off the couch-careful not to loose any of their bookmarks-and hopped down on it, bouncing slightly while glancing at the King from the corner of his eye.

The King continued to glare back with his normal expression of part reluctance, part annoyance, part disbelief, and part fondness. Though, granted, the last bit may have been wishful thinking on Hinata's part.

"Oh, yeah," Hinata finally said after an uninterrupted moment of glaring while Hinata looked happily back up from the couch. "Yachi told me to ask if you had any chores for me to do. So, any chores, Your Highness?"

"Quit calling me 'Your Highness', it sounds weird when you do it," The King-no, Kageyama commented back. "And, Dumbass, you've been my servant for five years and I've literally _never_ had a chore for you. Why would I today?"

"I dunno," Hinata answered lazily, stretching his neck to see what the latest subject Kageyama was researching-looked like merchant sea travels. "Maybe with the Summer Festival coming up, you wanted to get out of the tower or something. I know some great places to eat over on the merchant street."

Kageyama let out an annoyed sigh, falling back on the seat by his desk and picking up a discarded book. "No, Hinata, I'm not leaving the castle today. Definitely not for whatever terrible street vendor a dumbass like you would like."

Hinata shrugged, leaning back on the couch and gazing at the ceiling. "Fine, then if you're not going to go out. I'll just tell you where _I_ went yesterday." Hinata sniffed and grumbled under his breath. "Though, maybe someone with your stupid taste wouldn't appreciate it."

Across from him, Kageyama rolled his eyes but Hinata noticed his eyes hadn't moved like they would if he was actually reading the book. _And_ he hadn't told Hinata to stop.

Hinata smiled lightly, launching into a tale about his last night that was somewhat re-colored to avoid any clues to his mission. At his desk, Kageyama sat listening, every now and then adding in his own acerbic commentary.

If the people saw the Queen of Spades as perfect, then the King of Spades was viewed as...flawed. Some might even say broken, though that would certainly not have been Hinata. It wasn't so much that the people of Spades saw the King and didn't like what they saw. It was more that the people of Spades didn't see the King..at all. Since the death of his parents when he was seven years old, the King of Spades had only left the castle roughly five times.

Probably because of this with what Tsuki would call the King's "natural, sunny personality" the King tended to have a hard time getting along with people. Castle servants would characterize him as silent at best and at worst, a horrible disposition and impossible to work with. Hinata could...sympathize to a certain extent. The King _was_ silent for the most part and could come across as grumpy, especially if you caught him in the wrong mood. But, then most people didn't see the other side, the one that Hinata saw. The King that worked day and night, hours and hours-until someone else had to make him quit-trying to read everything about the kingdom. Learn everything he could to be the best king possible. The King that had no idea how to understand his people but wanted to know every little thing he could to help him. That was the King that Hinata got to see.

Of course, Hinata had also been hopelessly in love with the King for the last few years so there's that.

From his spot in the desk, Kageyama let out a small laugh at one of Hinata's more amusing anecdotes before the King quickly covered it and went back to pretending to read.

 _Yeah, there's that_ , Hinata echoed, thinking about how Kageyama's eyes seemed to shine whenever he laughed.

And so the morning bled into afternoon in the same way that Hinata's afternoon's normally looked-with Hinata continuing on about various places he'd been or stories he'd heard while Kageyama pretended he wasn't hanging onto every word.

As the sun finally sank too low from where Hinata could see it in the sliver of window, Hinata finally stood up, stretching out the kinks in his back.

"Alright, Kageyama," Hinata announced, throat slightly dry from talking for hours. "Since _you_ don't have any chores for me to do."

"I never have chores for you to do," Kageyama interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"I'm going to go check on the Jack to see if he wants anything," Hinata continued as if Kageyama hadn't spoken.

He started to the door, spying one last opportunity as he walked. The glass of water-that a servant had kindly brought him when Kageyama received his lunch- was sitting barely a few inches away from Hinata's feet, far enough away that it wouldn't do damage to any of the books that scattered the room. Hinata stepped to the door, perfectly twisting his back foot as he landed to just slightly "accidentally" touch the glass' edge.

The glass fell, spilling water on the floor.

"DUMBASS!" Kageyama yelled, grabbing one of the rags he kept in the room for moments like this. "Get out! You're the clumsiest servant in the world!"

Hinata rubbed the back of his head and sent Kageyama his best sheepish grin.

"Sorry, Kageyama, I forgot the glass was there. But, hey, at least it's not by any of your books!"

Kageyama glared back, but by now it had just shifted back to his normal exasperation. "Honestly, with your stupid ass around to knock things over, it's amazing that none of the books _have_ gotten ruined."

"Sorry," Hinata repeated, trying to sound sincere and not at all like he planned it.

Kageyama sighed. "Just go and check to see whatever stupid, menial task Tsukishima's got set of for you."

"Yes, Your Highness," Hinata answered, throwing up a salute to Kageyama's eye roll.

He left the room while Kageyama was still muttering insults under his breath.

 _The things I do for my cover_ , Hinata thought wistfully. Though, to be fair, he might technically have oversold his "clumsiness" a bit around Kageyama. Hinata was of the firm opinion that it served the King good to piss him off every now and then.

With a good deed done for the day, Hinata started the long journey down the stairs and back to the east side of the castle where he'd started the day.

He got to the Jack of Spades office and on this door didn't even bother knocking, electing to walk right in instead.

Tsuki looked up from his desk and gave him a dry look. "I'm almost sure you treat the rest of our Suit's personal spaces with more respect than mine."

"Well, yeah," Hinata answered, tilting his head in a way that implied this was obvious. "That's cause with Kageyama, I've gotta cover to maintain and Suga's an angel. You're an asshole and we shared a room until we were like fifteen. We don't have personal space from each other anymore."

Tsuki's glare heavily disagreed with this statement, but the blond very notably chose to move on.

"How is his Royal Bratiness," Tsuki asked, electing a new conversation thread. "Still yelling at everything in sight."

Hinata shot him a mild glare back. "Sorry, were you talking about Kageyama or yourself? It's so hard to tell with those descriptors."

Tsuki leaned back in his chair. "My fault, I should have been clearer. I know how _easily_ you get confused."

Hinata opened his mouth to retort and it's entirely likely that the conversation would have devolved further if Yachi hadn't chosen that moment to walk in the door.

"Hey, Hinata," Yachi greeted him. "I brought you some lunch since I figured you'd forget."

At this moment, Hinata's stomach decided to let out a loud gurgle and he sheepishly took the sandwich from Yachi. "Thanks, Yachi!"

"No problem," Yachi waved him off, going to stand by Tsuki's desk.

"Where's my sandwich?" Tsuki asked, glaring at Hinata as he chomped down on the first bite.

Yachi shot him a sweet and innocent smile. "In the kitchen I presume."

Tsuki gave her a flat look. "I miss the days when you were too scared of me to backtalk." He glanced back at Hinata. "Oi, how come _my_ assistant likes you better."

"I vold vou," Hinata said through the sandwich, taking a second to swallow. "It's cause you're an asshole."

Tsuki rolled his eyes and Hinata had a moment to think that him and Kageyama were really more alike than they'd admit. His next thoughts were _Eww_ and that he should never ever tell them that.

Tsuki was grabbing a pile of papers over his desk and flipping through them.

"Alright, now that you've been well fed," he said a touch acidically before swapping to what Yachi and Hinata called his 'business voice'. "Let me tell you about your next mission I've found."

Hinata sat up, sitting aside his sandwich plate and paying close attention.

"One of my informants brought word that a merchant, who specializes in hard to find and slightly illegal goods, would be in town for tonight only." Tsuki glanced down at his desk. "Normally, I wouldn't really care about a couple of less than savory deals as long as it's nothing too bad."

"But, this one is something bad," Hinata prompted.

"The problem," Tsuki continued, "is that until this morning the merchant, Mr. Watanabe, was being so secretive about what he was selling that I didn't even know what it was."

Hinata sat back. Tsukishima Kei was...well, the Jack of Spades, the literal smartest person in the entirety of Spades. And he had put all that talent, and Hinata's as well, to making sure that Spades had the best spy and informant network of anywhere in the continent. If Tsuki _didn't_ know something, it normally meant that something was working very, _very_ hard to make it so.

"So, you want me to find out what he's selling," Hinata asked.

"Sort of," Tsuki answered. "This morning, one of my top informants came in and told me that they had found out what Mr. Watanabe was selling that was so important."

"What was it," Hinata pressed, starting to get the sense that Tsuki was feeling like dragging this out.

"Illegally imported pelts from the Nohebi Empire," Tsuki responded flatly.

Hinata tried not to let his shoulders droop. "Oh….that's bad, I guess."

Tsuki shrugged, furrowing his brow. "It's illegal, but boring. _No one_ goes through that much effort just to skip out on some minor tariffs between countries. Even more so, it's nothing near what Watanabe normally sales."

"So," Hinata frowned, trying to put the pieces together. "Either Watanabe's suddenly gotten worse at selling stuff or-"

"Or it's a false trail," Tsuki finished before Hinata could, not quite willing to let him steal his thunder. "Which means that your mission is actually two parts. Find out what he's selling and find out how he got enough information on our network to be able to lay a false lead."

Hinata nodded happily, mission ideas buzzing through his head.

"Where is Mr. Watanabe planning on selling," he asked.

"The informant says he's working from that dive bar down by the canal," Tsuki answered. "I don't think he'd change the spot just because we know about it. It would look too suspicious."

"Want me to intercept the product," questioned Hinata.

Tsuki shrugged. "Only if it's too dangerous to leave there. Up to you. Likely given the location, they'll just assume some other low level pick pocket snatched it."

"Do I need to take care of the seller or buyers," Hinata asked, a cautious sort of wariness coloring his tone.

Tsuki shook his head. "No. Let's track them and see what kind of leaks we have in the system first."

Hinata nodded, relieved. It wasn't that he couldn't do assassinations per se. He had and he had no doubt he'd have to again. Heck, he was the Ace of Spades, the best spy _and assassin_ in the county. But, it was-by far-his least favorite part of the job.

Through long familiarity (and Hinata being terrible at hiding his emotions with people he was close to), Tsuki read the relief off of his face but decided not to comment.

"You can just go as yourself for this one," Tsuki told him. "It's not like they don't know you and you won't fit in there. Any cover would be too risky for someone to find out. Plus, there's the time frame to consider."

Hinata accepted this easily-though he knew if they really needed to, Tsuki and him could whip up a false identity in a matter of minutes.

"That's all I have for you," Tsuki concluded. "Now, get out of my office."

Hinata stuck out his tongue, but got up from the seat. "Geeze, Tsuki, you're so touchy today. Like more than _usual_ and that's saying something."

"The librarian he has a crush on was out sick today," Yachi threw in before Tsuki could let out a scathing retort.

Hinata's eyes widened and a huge grin split his face. "Tsukiiii, why didn't you tell me you had a crush?!"

Tsuki turned to glare at Yachi. "He did _not_ need to know that."

He turned back to Hinata, who was practically hopping back and forth. "I do not have a crush. And if I did, I would most certainly _never_ tell you about it as I value my sanity. Now, get out of my office!"

"Awww," Hinata pouted, though still somehow managed to look like he was smiling. "We tell each other everything…"

"No we don't."

"I've known you since we were seven," Hinata continued. "You're like my brother."

"I don't want to be. Get Out."

"I can't believe you won't even tell me their name," Hinata frowned, pulling out the puppy dog eyes while he headed for the door.

"His name's Yamaguchi," Yachi mock whispered to the side.

Hinata beamed at her and shut the door on Tsuki's "YACHI! SHUT UP!"

Tsuki was right. Hinata was definitely Yachi's favorite.

ooooooo

It was nearing midnight and Hinata was still at the stupid dive bar called "Crow's Nest" ordering another drink. He obviously stifled a yawn, turning it into a wide drunken looking grin.

"Getting tired, Hinata," one of the bar locals named Aoi asked. Aoi was a common fisherman by day that just happened to run a small little smuggling business on the side. Nothing that either Hinata or Tsuki would really bother with.

"Yeah," Hinata answered honestly before swapping into a small white lie. "The palace knights got me up at five in the morning to help them with their horses."

"And, how late were you up the night before," asked one of the older regulars.

Hinata gave a rueful smile that had the men around him laugh.

"Gotta stop bar hopping every night," Aoi commented jokingly. "Or maybe get a more honest job like us."

The group laughed again.

"As if any of us would no anything about a purely honest job," Haruto commented breezily.

Hinata...knew a lot of local bars. No, wait, that sounded bad. Hinata knew a lot of people at local bars...because Hinata ended up _at_ local bars a lot. Gah, that still didn't sound great.

Hinata knew a lot of people _everywhere_ in the city. Part of this was, of course, because Hinata just happened to love people. But also because when everyone knew your face, you didn't look out of place anywhere. When Hinata had a reputation as the local friendly palace staffer who made it a habit to wander around the city and get to know people, then it made it much less odd when he just happened to be in places that the Ace of Spades showed up at.

Yachi joked once that Hinata knew everyone in the city...and really, she wasn't that far off. But, why wouldn't he, Hinata _loved_ Spades. He loved getting to know the people he would die to protect and, bonus, they usually seemed to love getting to know him, too. Even if they didn't know that him was, well, _him_ or...ugh, secret identities could get so confusing sometimes.

From the corner of the bar, the man that Hinata had discreetly been making note of nodded to Mr. Watanabe, who had just entered. Mr. Watanabe and the stranger exited the bar, one right after the other.

Hinata sat easily not making any move to follow them as a part of him lazily traced their movements on the street, turning left.

Slowly, Hinata let out another yawn, stretching his mouth wide and leaning heavily on his hand.

"Geeze, Hinata. You _really_ do need some sleep," remarked Haruto. "Get out of here before you fall asleep in a ditch."

Hinata nodded, letting his eyes droop. He shot Haruto a grateful smile, glad that he could get someone else to suggest it.

"Yeah, I think I will," Hinata responded, making sure he sounded reluctant. He laid some coins down on the table. "Thanks, guys. Next round's on me."

The rest of the guys gratefully slapped him on the back as he left. Good, let them remember the next round rather than who he happened to leave after.

Not that Hinata thought they'd be that suspicious; he'd been letting out increasingly more yawns for the past two hours. That, plus the slightly drunk swagger-really, if Hinata didn't know how to stealthily swap out drinks yet he'd be out of a job-insured that no one in the bar would remember him as a threat.

He exited the bar, heading right until he was clearly out of view. Then he slipped silently into an alley, losing the groggy demeanor and tipsy mannerisms. Watanabe and his customer had headed left, but there was no sign of them on the long street. Hinata hadn't heard any carriages or horses pass by since he left so the two had to have stopped in one of the other buildings on the street. Hinata had a feeling it was the meat shop since the only other options were the local city shop for the smithy (and _no one,_ criminal or otherwise, wanted to conduct business surrounded by a pile of easily accessible weapons) and a flower shop owned by a little old lady that was one of the few people who worked on this street without any nefarious associations. Just a remnant from when this street catered to a different crowd.

Hinata threw off his over clothes, carefully ripping them to shreds and throwing them in various piles of trash around him to look like old rags. Under his over clothes, he wore the usual tightly woven black mesh bodysuit that had come to be associated with the Ace of Spades. He pulled on the black mask, covering his entire head and with specially thin fabric over the eyes to allow him to see.

Quickly before anyone could walk by the alley, Hinata jumped and caught the ledge of the bar roof, silently swinging his body back into a back flip to land on top. Blending into the roof, he crept over the dark tiles and jumped slightly from the bar roof to the meat shop.

Looking around, Hinata saw a light coming through a thatch in the roof that had been hastily covered in wood. Creeping closer, he could just make out voices from the room below

 _Nice!_ Hinata wouldn't have to wait to watch them leave and try to trail one of them.

He leaned down, taking out a knife and quietly shaving off a piece of the wooden thatch large enough that he could make a peephole. He looked down into the small single room

"Truly, again just _truly_ an honor," Mr. Watanabe was saying, looking nervous enough that Hinata could spot sweat stains from here.

The other man from the bar stood opposite from him and held himself imperiously. A man that Hinata remember leaving the bar about an hour ago stood behind him as a guard.

"Yes, yes," the imperious man remarked. "An honor. You've said that already. Do you have what you promised or not. I'm not exactly _planning_ to stay in a city known for their spies for longer than necessary."

"Yes," Mr. Watanabe said with an audible gulp. "I have them. Both of them."

"The Jack and the King?" the imperious man demanded. Hinata leaned closer, trying to hear what they wanted with Kageyama and Tsuki.

"Yes, Your Grace," Mr. Watanabe answered. "Both of them."

"Let me see them then."

Mr. Watanabe pulled something out from a bag he was holding and shoved forward two boxes, each about the size of Hinata's open hand.

Hinata tried to twist to find an angle where he could see what was in them, but the men's bodies blocked his view.

"Um," Mr. Watanabe started after the men had been staring for a while. "As you can see, the i-items are in p-perfect condition."

"Indeed," the imperious man said simply. "I'll bring these out to the horses while my associate pays you."

Both Hinata and Mr. Watanabe could see where this was going.

"NO, WAIT, NO," Mr. Watanabe started yelling, backing up to the wall. "THIS WASN'T THE DEAL!"

The imperious man didn't seem to hear him and walked out of the room, leaving Mr. Watanabe with his associate brandishing a knife. Hinata didn't need to see more and leaned back from the roof as Mr. Watanabe let out a final scream that ended in a gurgle.

Instead, Hinata padded silently across the rooftop in the direction the other man seemed to be heading. Leaning unseen behind a chimney, Hinata watched as the man exited the building to a pair of bound horses tied up in the alley between the meat shop and the flower shop. The man looked back passively at the door, waiting for his associate. He slipped the two boxes into the saddlebag, checking to make sure it was secure

If Hinata was going to get a moment, this was it.

Making sure to stay completely out of any moonlight and blending into the dark roofs, Hinata slipped quietly down to the other side of the roof where a small brick wall connected it to the flower shop next door. Bending down, Hinata waited to make sure the man was looking away. If he was lucky, he'd have maybe a full second.

The man looked down briefly, appearing to examine his fingernails.

Hinata, staying completely silent, sprinted across the connecting wall that was maybe three inches in width. He landed softly on the other side, arching his feet to only land on the tips of his toes.

He leaned back on the flower shop roof behind him. The man hadn't seemed to notice him. Creeping on the pads of his feet across the roof, parallel to the man's back, Hinata eased slowly in front of the horse. He reached into one of his sewn in pockets, that looked almost invisible even in the light, and pulled out some small sealed, food pellets that Asahi had modified. He sprinkled them lightly in front of the horse and sat back waiting for the reaction.

Sure enough, the horse immediately smelled the pellets and bent his nose down, trying to sniff out the strange scent. If what Asahi had told Hinata was true, the smell of the pellets should be strong enough to ignore any other new smells in the immediate area-like for example, a small red haired spy.

The man shot his horse a backwards glance before looking back at the door to the butcher shop. Hinata quietly leaped down off the rooftop, landing in a crouch a foot behind the horse that blocked him from view from the man in front.

Now came the hard part. Hinata shot a glance at the horse to see that it was still more preoccupied with the pellets than it was with Hinata. Not daring to breathe, Hinata slipped down under the body of the horse and above the ground-behind the man's legs and right below the saddle bag.

Hinata pulled out his knife and, for half a second, looked at the unguarded man in front of him and considered ending this mission a different way. With Mr. Watanabe dead, finding the leak in the information network was practically bust. It was unlikely the well dressed man with a slight foreign accent was the one in charge of redirecting local criminals. There wasn't any real reason they needed him alive.

Hinata mentally shook his head. No death if it could be avoided.

He instead turned his knife to the lacing of the saddle bag. Carefully, Hinata slid the knife between two threads-cutting one and then it's neighbor. He slowly worked the thread down to where there was a small gap in the bottom of the bag-barely big enough for a small hand to slip a single box through but just small enough to appear almost natural.

Hinata slipped his hand in and silently prayed that the man didn't keep the bag too filled. In front of him, the man shifted slightly and Hinata froze with his hand still stuck in the saddle bag.

The man walked forward, away from Hinata and to the butcher door.

"What's taking so long? Just leave the body! It's not like it would be a big deal given this fuckin' neighborhood."

The man muttered to himself, walking back but thankfully did not look down where Hinata's black outfit shown brightly in the light from the butcher shop door.

Hinata didn't quite dare let out a sigh of relief yet, feeling in the bag until...there. A corner of a small box. Hinata pulled gently until the box was in his hands.

Just at that time, footsteps sounded from the butcher shop, coming to the door.

 _Shit!_ Hinata thought, rolling out from under the horse and back into the dark shadows, clutching the box in his hands.

"Finally," the leader of the two announced. "Come on, let's leave before any more of the wretched canal smell gets in my clothes."

Hinata watched from the shadowed corner between the two shops as the two men mounted their horses before riding out onto the street, not sparing a glance to their silent observer.

Hinata finally took a moment to breathe and looked down at the box in his hands.

 _Well, at least it was just one of them_ , Hinata mused _. .And hopefully, Tsuki was right and they'll assume it's a local pickpocket._

Hinata hopped back onto the roof, where he knew the shadows would hide him completely from sight, and finally opened the box to see what all the fuss was about.

 _Oh._ was Hinata's first thought. Followed by a very deeply felt _Oh, Shit_.

 _This was….this was very, very bad_.

Sitting in the small black box was a small square of what was undoubtedly human skin. But, the part that made Hinata truly worried wasn't the skin but rather the unmistakable blood red heart that was stamped onto it and inscribed with a very delicate silver letter "J".

The Jack of Hearts.


	2. Chapter 2

_20 Years Prior_

 _The Kingdom of Spades was in mourning._

 _A fortnight prior, the old and beloved King of Spades-Ukai Ikkei-had finally passed peacefully in his sleep. Soon after, the Jack of Spades had announced his decision to retire as soon as his replacement reached the proper age. With the Ace of Spades already reported as killed in action two years ago, this left the kingdom once more in the steady hands of the Queen to monitor until the rest of the new Suit got to the age to Claim their titles._

 _The city street were line with black banners as all around city goers hung their heads low, wiping their eyes. Today was the funeral to put to rest the great King. All across the Kingdom of Spades, and even from the other Card Kingdoms, mourners had flocked to the city to be present for the occasion_

 _One of these visitors was little Kageyama Tobio-who, in the midst of the crowd, let go of his mother's hand._

 _Five year old Kageyama didn't understand why all these people were upset. His mother and father had told him that the King of Spades had died but that didn't make sense. Kageyama was right here! So, why were people crying?_

The old king, Tobio _, his mother had whispered to him and Kageyama kind of understood. The people were worried because they didn't have a King anymore. But, that was stupid. Kageyama could be their King! It was his destiny. His mother had said!_

 _With this in mind, the small child pushed and ducked through the crowd until he finally got to the front of the palace. The Queen of Spades stood on the top of the steps-eyes downcast and poised to give a speech._

 _Kageyama pulled on the kind looking man's hanging robe and the Queen looked down surprised._

" _It's an honor to meet you, Queen of Spades," Kageyama greeted, because his mother had always taught him to be polite even though most of the time, he was kind of bad at it._

 _Kageyama took off his right hand glove that his parents always made him wear and held up his bare hand, showing the all black spade symbol. The Queen's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to-_

" _My name is Kageyama Tobio," Kageyama told him in as strong a voice as his little body could manage, "I'm the King of Spades."_

 _As soon as he said it, brilliant gold light shone from his hand and above. The sound of thunder echoed from the sky, causing nearby mourners to cry out. A fierce wind swept on and around his body and the young boy fought to suppress a shiver._

 _Just as suddenly the light died and Kageyama looked down to see a golden calligraphy "K" now shone bright in the middle of the spade symbol. He smiled up at the Queen._

 _The Queen looked...shocked, possibly verging on horrified. And...and that wasn't right? Why did he look like that?_

 _Kageyama turned back to the crowd seeing hundreds of shocked, silent faces. His parents had made their way to the front and Kageyama frowned, looking at his mother._

 _Tears streamed down the woman's face as he held her hands over her mouth. Kageyama felt a lurch in his tummy and he had a feeling the tears had nothing to do with the funeral._

" _Oh, Tobio," his mothered breathed, barely audible. "Oh, my son, what have you done?"_

"This is...very bad."

"That's what I said," Hinata shouted, pointing wildly at the piece of skin Tsuki was in the middle of examining.

"And he said the Jack _and_ the King, right? You're absolutely certain," Tsuki asked, sitting the box and it's grisly contents back on his desk.

Hinata nodded firmly. "Yeah, he definitely said he had _both_ of them plus there were two boxes. What do you think? Is it...is it Yahaba's?"

Tsuki shook his head. "Highly unlikely. We'd definitely have heard by now if the Jack of Hearts had been killed and there's no way they'd be able to get any of the Jacks' marks without killing them first." He gestured idly to the back of his own neck where the black spade mark sat inlaid with a golden "J".

Hinata breathed out a sigh of relief, falling back in the chair opposite Tsuki's desk. "Then if it's not Yahaba's mark, who's is it?"

Tsuki frowned, thinking. "Most likely the previous Jack of Hearts. Both his and the King's bodies were never accounted for after Heart's Civil War ended."

Hinata frowned back, confused. "But if it's the previous Jack of Heart's, why does it still have the 'J' on it? I thought that whole generation Suit was judged unworthy."

"No," Tsuki answered. "Only that generation's Ace and Queen of Hearts became unworthy. They killed the Jack and King before they could reveal their status, so theoretically both the King and Jack died worthy."

It was every Suit member's fear to be judged unworthy by whatever magic or fate judged the Card Kingdom. To have the letter in the symbol suddenly disappear without warning, telling the carrier that they were no longer fit to rule the kingdom and to give up their title to the next generation. It was an exceedingly rare phenomenon-only happening about a dozen times in the recorded history of the Card Kingdom. Most Suit members lived their entire lives in service to the Card Kingdom, dying with the gold or silver letter still imprinted on their skin.

Hinata shivered lightly. "So...if the skin's not some kind of proof of death or anything, why would anybody wanted? It's not like the mark alone does anything."

Tsuki rolled his eyes and pointed again to the back of his neck. "Hinata, what is this? You can take your time if you need."

Hinata glared.

"It's your mark," he answered flatly. "The mark for the Jack of Spades. _You._ With the 'J' in the middle to show the title as Claimed."

"Very good," Tsuki responded sarcastically. "And why is it important?"

"Um," Hinata started, wondering where this was leading. "So people know your the Jack?"

Tsuki nodded. "Exactly. Hinata, have you ever tried to draw your mark? Just on a piece of paper or something?"

"...No," Hinata responded hesitantly. "Why would I?"

"Try to draw mine," Tsuki answered. "I'll wait."

He slid a paper over to Hinata, who took it along with a pen. He glanced down, trying to figure out what Tsuki was trying to do. Ugh, that tone of voice never ended well for Hinata.

Hinata sat his pen down on the paper and easily drew the spade symbol, same as the one on his shoulder. His pen touched down to start the "J" and...and…

How did Tsuki's "J" look again? Was there a line on top of it? Did it lean slightly to the right or had Hinata just imagined that?

Confused, Hinata looked back up at Tsuki, who was smirking widely in his classic I-Know-Something-You-Don't expression. Hinata _hated_ that expression.

"Every mark is enchanted," Tsuki answered. "As soon as you look away from it, you won't be able to remember it clearly. Only that you saw it. Put all of a Suit's marks side by side and they'll look like they've been written by the same hand. But as soon as there out of eyesight, not even a member of the same Suit could remember quite what another mark looks like."

"Unless you never had the mark out of eyesight," Hinata finished, looking back at the box on the desk.

Tsuki nodded. "If someone was able to have the exact mark in front of them as they drew it then, yes, they would be able to make an exact copy."

"You think someone's trying to forge the King of Heart's mark so that they can become King," Hinata breathed out, him mind running with the implications.

"Considering that Hearts has been without a King for coming up on fifteen years, I think that's the most likely possibility," Tsuki answered.

"Shit," Hinata cursed vehemently. "We've got to tell the other Suits."

"I'm calling a meeting as soon as we're done," Tsuki agreed. "We can meet in the open chamber in the west side of the castle where it should be more clear."

"The one by the secret passage that smells like moth balls! Tsuki, you did that on purpose! I hate spying from that one."

"You'll live," Tsuki rolled his eyes, but conspicuously didn't deny why he chose it. "Go brief Suga beforehand and I'll handle Kageyama since it would look weird if a servant found out first."

Not for the first time, Hinata thought that Kageyama's adamance _not_ to know who the Ace of Spades was could be really annoying.

"The buyer had a slight foreign accent," Hinata told Tsuki. "He was hiding it well, so he's probably had some experience; but, I could still pick up a trace of what sounded like a Hyakuzawan accent. Also, Mr. Watanabe called him 'Your Grace' once but I don't know if that was actually his title or if Watanabe was just being extra polite...for all the good that did him."

Tsuki absorbed this information. "You didn't recognize him as a Hyakuzawan noble?"

Hinata shook his head. "Nah, but I mean their former king _did_ have twelve children and Hyakuzawa's not the most friendly with us. One of their nobles could have easily slipped through the cracks."

"If Hyakuzawa's behind it, that's extra bad," Tsuki frowned, rubbing his head like he was fending off a headache. "That could push this up from some random rich aristocrat wanting a chance at King to an actual act of war."

"If they're heading from here to Hyakuzawa, they basically have to cut through Diamonds' capital though," Hinata commented. "Any other route would take at least an extra week."

"Do you think you might be able to cut them off and follow them," Tsuki asked sharply.

Hinata weighed the odds. "I mean I can't say for _sure_. It's a big city. But, there's a chance if I leave either today or tomorrow. I know I'd at least beat them there."

"Good," Tsuki said. "Do that. We'll tell the rest of the Suits that you're carrying copies of my official findings to them."

Hinata got up to go brief Suga and then put a bag together.

"Oh, and Hinata," Tsuki called him before he could leave.

"Yeah," Hinata asked.

"Whoever's behind this is going through a lot effort not to be found out," Tsuki told him. "You're the best in the Kingdom, but remember the motto."

Hinata nodded, smiling faintly. "A known spy is a dead spy"

ooooooo

Kageyama tried to hide the tension in his shoulders as he followed Suga and Tsukishima into the west castle meeting room. He wondered hopefully if anyone would assume the tension was from the circumstances around the meeting rather than the mere fact of having a meeting in the first place...of being around people...where a single misspoken word could mean jeopardizing the entire kingdom.

 _I wish Hinata was here_ , Kageyama thought idly before quickly shoving that thought down and scowling to hide a blush. Based on the amused side eye Tsukishima gave him, he hadn't been entirely successful.

Still, having Hinata at the meeting would...help, make it better somehow in a way that Kageyama couldn't fully explain. Kageyama never had trouble talking around Hinata-or more accurately letting Hinata talk and making commentary around it. With Hinata, Kageyama never had that crushing doubt that every word he said would come out wrong and he'd let everyone down. Being with Hinata was...easy, in a way that Kageyama hadn't found before.

The three of them entered the chamber and it was time to put those thoughts away. Suga nodded to them before doing some kind of complicated hand gesture to seal the chamber against prying eyes or listening ears.

Tsukishima looked around the room. "They should be here soon. You told them it was urgent, right?"

"Yep," Suga answered. "The other Queens all assured me that everyone would be here."

As if he had said some kind of code word, a wall of water rushed in on the opposite side of the room.

"Suga?! Suga? Are you there? Did it work?" a voice called as the water slowly pulled into the shape of Lev Haiba-the Queen of Diamonds-with three other people shapes forming behind him.

Details and color finally filled in and a perfect water copy of the Suit of Diamonds stood on the other side of the room.

"That's my cue," Suga smiled back at Tsukishima and Kageyama. "Ready?"

They both nodded and Kageyama watched as Suga muttered something under his breath and waved his hands, causing a sweeping wind to cover their bodies. Slightly used to the sensation but still not finding it all that pleasant, Kageyama felt the wind run over his body and map every feature so that they could project a replica made of air and light for each of the Kingdoms of Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs.

"Suga! I can see you guys! Wow, this is so awesome," yelled Lev-the Queen of Diamonds, most powerful sorcerer in all of Hearts, the Mage of Water. "This spell is so cool! I can't believe I've never gotten to try it before."

Lev was...Lev was new.

"Idiot," the water version of Yaku Morisuke, Jack of Diamonds, reached over and whacked Lev on the back of the head, causing tiny droplets of water to fall to the ground. "You told us that Suga said this was a _serious_ meeting. Be serious!"

"Sorry, sorry," Lev muttered, before smiling back at the rest of the group.

Behind Lev, the King of Diamonds-Kozume Kenma-gave a brief nod to the group before the most terrifying member of the Diamonds Suit stepped forward.

"So, Tsukishima, what's all the fuss about," asked Tetsuro Kuroo-Ace of Diamonds and from all accounts a terrifying fighter nicknamed "The Chessmaster".

Tsukishima just glared. "Wait, until everyone else is here."

"Aww, but I hate waiting," pouted Kuroo.

To Kageyama's left, the floor suddenly burst open and the dirt bellow it rose up to form four more figures. Sediments in the dirt shifted making eyes and noses until finally even the detailing on their clothing was visible.

"Kuroo!" one of the newcomers yelled. "What's up, Buddy? I haven't seen you since the Spring Festival."

The earth figure next over sighed. "Bokuto, that was only three months ago."

"Three months is a long time though, Akaashi," responded Bokuto, the King of Clubs. " A lot can happen."

"Hey, Bo," waved back Kuroo on the other side. "Nice to see you or, at least, the rock version of you. Nice job with detail, by the way"

Bokuto beamed back proudly. "Yeah, Akaashi's gotten really good at this spell."

Akaashi-Queen of Clubs, Mage of Earth-tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement. Behind him, the Jack and Ace of Clubs-Akinori Konoha and Yukie Shirofuku, respectively-stood silently.

On the right side of the room, the candle on the wall seemed to spill forth flame like a waterfall forming what Kageyama always thought was the most unsettling of the projections.

Three bodies, that somehow managed to look like they were made of fire instead of on fire, formed with the flames twisting and turning different colors until finally the shapes looked more human than fire.

Iwaizumi Hajime, the Ace and unspoken leader of Hearts, stepped forward. Flanking him with what looked like almost military precision was the Jack of Hearts Shigeru Yahaba and their Queen, Mad Dog the Mage of Fire. Of the Queens of each Suit, Mad Dog was about as opposite from Suga as Kageyama thought it was possible to be.

Iwaizumi stepped forward, immediately getting to business. "Tsukishima, you called a meeting."

If there was one Suit member that Kageyama admired-other than the members of his own Suit, of course-it was the Ace of Hearts. Iwaizumi Hajime had Claimed his title at fifteen, right at the end of the Hearts Civil War, and then proceeded to lead the country entirely alone until Yahaba had Claimed Jack of Hearts three years later. The fact that Hearts still existed was nothing short of a miracle and the laurels rested entirely on their Ace.

Tsukishima nodded and pulled a small box out from behind his back.

"Before I open this," Tsukishima started. "I just need to confirm something. Yahaba can I see your mark?"

The Jack of Hearts frowned, looking confused, but nodded.

"Sure," he turned and lifted the end of his hair from over his neck. Visible even in flame appearance was the bright red heart with a silver "J" in the middle.

Tsukishima nodded. "Thank you, it's just as I thought."

Without another word, Tsukishima opened the box in his hand and showed it to the crowd. Kageyama leaned forward uncosciously, spying the piece of skin that Tsukishima had already shown him and Suga before they came.

"Fuck," Iwaizumi swore, dragging a hand through his hair and momentarily interrupting the flame appearance.

"Well put," Kuroo agreed.

"I always wondered what happened to their bodies after the War," Iwaizumi muttered. "But, I just never had time to check into it."

"You were rather busy rebuilding a kingdom," Suga commented, not unkindly.

Iwaizumi nodded absently. "Where did you find it?"

"I'm afraid it gets worse," Tsukishima answered, placing the top back on the box. "Yesterday, I received word that a trade deal was going down in our capital. The details seemed suspicious so I sent our Ace to investigate."

"The mysterious Ace of Spades," Kuroo all but purred. "I see he's once again not at the meeting. Any chance you'll finally tell us who it is? We are supposed to be allies, you know."

Tsukishima smirked. "It's not about trust. A known spy is a dead spy." Before anyone else could comment, he cleared his throat and went back to the report. "Anyway, the mission was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance but our Ace was able to overhear the meeting between the buyer and sellers. According to the Ace, two boxes were bought and he distinctly heard them referred to as 'The Jack and the King's'. Assuming they were talking about Spades, the Ace intercepted this box to ascertain its contents but had to retreat before he was able to put it back...which ended up being rather lucky for us, judging by the contents."

A deep silence followed the news.

Finally Mad Dog growled and Akaashi commented in a quiet voice. "Are we assuming that the buyer now has the mark of the former King of Hearts and is planning on creating their own forgery King?"

Tsukishima nodded. "That's what our Ace and I concluded, yes."

Iwaizumi began to pace across the room, minding the limits of the projection.

"Shit," he muttered.

"I don't suppose you've happened to find your long lost King yet," Kuroo asked lightly.

Iwaizumi shook his head. "Still nothing."

The King of Hearts was one of the biggest mysteries in the entire Card Kingdom. Normally, it was unheard of for a country to go any more than three maybe five years after the loss of a Suit member without at least some word of their replacement-even if the kingdom decided to keep the identity mainly quiet until the member was old enough. Hearts had gone almost fifteen years without a single word on their new King. Nothing since the former had been killed before the Civil War began.

"Is it possible that they're...well," Kenma left the sentence unfinished.

"Dead?" Iwaizumi asked bluntly before shaking his head. "Even if they died before making it to the palace, a replacement should have been born already. Fuck, with the time we've had, _two_ replacements could have been born. No, whoever it is has to be alive somewhere."

Tsukishima politely and efficiently moved the conversation on. "Because of the seriousness of the matter, I plan to send our official courier on to each of your kingdoms to deliver my official report.

This was news to Kageyama and he, quite selfishly, felt deeply disappointed before he ruthlessly suppressed the feeling. This was for the kingdom and it was Hinata' job. He could live without him for a couple of weeks...right?

"Awesome!" Bokuto boomed happily. "Hey, send Hinata over here first! I haven't seen the little guy in ages!"

"Again only a few months," Akaashi pointed out. "But, Bokuto, remember, Hinata should probably go to Hearts first. It is _their_ King we're concerned about."

"Oh, right" Bokuto frowned.

"Actually," Tsukishima put in. "I've instructed Hinata to go to Diamonds first since our Ace had a small suspicion that the buyer might be from Hyakuzawa. We wanted the Diamond city guard to be aware in case the buyer passes through."

"Hyakuzawa?...That's not good," Yahaba muttered at the same time Lev shouted out, "Ha, take that! Diamond rules!"

"Aww," Bokuto pouted. "That's not fair. Lev's only been here a year why do they get to see Hinata first!"

"It's cause we're the most awesome" Lev grinned and was about to say something else before Kuroo quite forcefully put a hand over his mouth.

"You have our _deepest regrets_ for Lev," Kenma offered to Tsukishima in a tone that implied he didn't just mean at this meeting.

"Kenma! That's so rude," Lev let out before he was tackled back by a combination Kuroo and Yaku.

Kageyama always seemed to forget that it wasn't only him that looked forward to seeing Hinata. As the official, courier, Hinata was friends with practically the entire kingdom. _Everyone_ loved seeing him...Kageyama wasn't special.

"Tsukishima, tell Hinata to go to Clubs _last_ then," Bokuto told the blonde. "That way he'll get to stay here the longest."

Tsukishima let out a sigh as if put upon. "I'll make sure to pass along the message." Giving it a beat, Tsukishima clapped his hands once and brought a semblance of order to the meeting. "Alright, now that everything's been settled. I'll make sure I send our Ace to gather as much information as he can and report any findings back to you. Barring any news, we can all get together in person at the Summer Festival to discuss possible long term solutions." Tsukishima turned to the Hearts Suit. "Also, not to beat a dead horse, but if you could find the real King of Hearts before then that would be wonderful."

Iwaizumi smiled sardonically. "Trust me if I knew who it was, I would drag that asshole in myself."

ooooooo

It just so happens that the hand that held the bright red heart that marked the King of Hearts was currently just refraining from shooting a very rude and not at all kingly gesture. Which was probably for the best considering that the person that the hand's possessor was speaking to just happened to be his head of the village.

Oikawa Tooru held back a sigh. Okay, so if flipping the village leader off, leaving, and slamming the door behind him wasn't an option; what were his other strategies?

Let's try whining.

"But, I don't _want_ to deliver a message to the palace," Oikawa blurted out.

Irihata looked unmoved. "Oikawa, the message has to get to the palace. It has our new census numbers. Without them, it will look like we're underpaying our taxes."

Maybe bargaining?

"Make Matsu or Makki do it," Oikawa argued back. "I'll pay for the horse myself."

Irihata gave him an unamused look. "I wouldn't trust Hanamaki or Matsukawa to deliver a letter across the street, let alone to the capital."

That was probably fair. What about excuses?

"I'm really busy right now, though," Oikawa prevaricate. "I've got to do weeding on my garden if I want the plants to last until Fall."

"Get Takeru to do it. I'm sure he'll be thrilled and if all goes well, you'll only be gone a week."

Flat out denial, then.

"No," Oikawa said firmly. "I don't want to go to the palace to deliver the letter. And nothing you say can change my mind."

Irihata sighed heavily. "Oikawa, the villagers are worried. Winter hit us hard and we can't afford another tax increase. You're the town hero, having you represent them at the palace would ease their minds even if it should be just a simple task. Do it for them."

Well, shit.

Oikawa sighed back, sitting back in Irihata's visitor chair. His hand with the mark itched idly over the bandages that covered it.

"Fine, I'll do it," Oikawa answered and tried to pretend he wasn't pleased by Irihata's answering smile.

"Thank you, Oikawa," Irihata said sincerely and held out the offered letter. "Here's the letter with the new census report. Just go to the palace and give it to the Ace. In and out in less than a day. With travel it shouldn't take more than a week, there and back."

Oikawa nodded glumly, taking the letter and feeling like he was taking his own death warrant.

He waved an absent goodbye, leaving Irihata's office and going out onto the empty street.

Oikawa slipped the letter into his pocket. Going to the capitol, talking to the one of the Hearts Suit in person. Honestly, it was like Oikawa's biggest fears wrapped into one convenient package. A _too_ convenient package.

"This is your fault, isn't it," Oikawa accused, glaring at what would look to anybody else like the empty air.

The human personification of the Fate known as Order looked back at him placidly.

"It became obvious that you were not going to be proactive in Claiming your title so I took the appropriate measures to point you in the right direction," Ushijima said calmly.

Oikawa threw up his hands. "You're right! I'm _not_ taking the _proactive_ measures. Because as I've told you a million times before, I DON'T WANT TO BE KING!"

Ushijima just blinked at him, unfazed. "It is your destiny, Young King. The mark on your hand decrees it so. There is no need to be difficult."

"Yeah, I am _difficult_. In fact, I'm _too difficult_. I'd make a terrible king. So, take this stupid mark off," Oikawa shot back. "I know you have the power to. Mark me as unworthy. Get it off and find some other idiot to fulfill whatever destiny you want."

"If the mark's still there, it means the kingdom still needs you," responded Ushijima. He tilted his head, like one would a misbehaving puppy. "I know I've told you this before. Are you forgetting on purpose for humorous effect?"

"NO!" Oikawa shouted, stalking off and away from the Fate and down the street. "I'm reminding you since you always seem to forget that I. Don't. Want. This."

Oikawa walked into the market street, Ushijima trailing behind him.

Sometimes Oikawa wondered what he had to have done in a past life to have a personification of fate follow him around like a little lost duckling. It had to be something terrible like maybe mass murder. Or maybe he was a really bad traveling minstrel or something.

"I am as always sorry that you feel that way, Young King," Ushijima said, stepping up to walk beside him. "But, if you would just go to the palace, I'm sure you will see I'm right."

"Stop it with all of the 'Young King' nonsense. You've been calling me that for years. I'm twenty-seven!" Oikawa muttered under his breath.

One of the nearby shop keepers looked up at the sound but upon seeing that it was Oikawa appearing to be talking to himself, the shop keeper just settled into a bemused but indulgent expression. Oikawa felt his eye twitch. Somehow, he was pretty sure that after "town hero" then term "town lunatic" was his second most used descriptor. Not that it would be a problem if Ushijima just chose to show himself instead of staying as an invisible pestering presence.

Could he turn visible? Yes, Oikawa had seen him do it before.

Would he? No, because by now, Oikawa was pretty sure that it was Ushijima secret goal to drive him insane while sending him to an early grave.

"Everyone human is young compared to me, Young King," Ushijima was saying but, honestly, Oikawa had gotten pretty good at tuning him out by now.

"Oikawa! Oikawa!"

"Scram," Oikawa muttered and was pleased to note that the next time he blinked, Ushijima had vanished into thin air.

"Hey, Takeru," Oikawa greeted the twelve year old. "What's up?"

Takeru looked up excitedly. "Is it true that you're going to the capitol to become a knight?"

"What? No! Of course, I'm not. That would be terrible" Oikawa answered vehemently. "Who told you that?"

Takeru frowned disappointed. "I was listening at the pub and Hanamaki said that Irihata had ordered you to go to the capitol and then Matsukawa said that with your luck, you'd probably end up being a knight by the end of the week."

 _This is why no one trusts them with letters,_ Oikawa mused dryly.

"They were just kidding," Oikawa told the boy. "I'm not going to be a knight, I promise."

"Why, though?" Takeru asked. "If you try out, I bet you'd make it. And then you'd get to go do awesome stuff and serve under the Ace of Hearts!"

Oikawa fought for a neutral tone. "Uh, huh, the great army of Hearts and the great Ace Iwa-whatever. Fat lot of good they do."

"What do you mean," Takeru demanded curiously.

"Nothing," Oikawa waved him off absently. "Just that there's no way I'm becoming a knight."

"But-But you're the _town hero_ ," Takeru protested. "If you're not going to be a knight, then no one in the village has a shot."

Oikawa rolled his eyes and said, "Well, if I'm a town hero then I better stay _in the town,_ hadn't I? Not much point of being its hero otherwise."

What he didn't say was that becoming the town hero wasn't exactly something he remembered fondly. What he didn't say was that being the town hero just meant having a village that was so desperate and tired and bloody from invaders that they'd listen to _any_ idea if it helped the survive, even if the ideas came from a fifteen year old. He didn't say that being a town hero meant being fifteen and working to the bone just trying to be one step smarter, one step faster, one step better than the enemies so they wouldn't kill everything you loved. What he _definitely_ didn't say was that when you looked out onto bodies of men who had died from your orders, that you didn't feel like much of a hero at all.

And maybe because he hadn't said all of this, Takeru just groaned and did say, "Ugh, you're like the worst town hero ever."

"Yeah, yeah," Oikawa said lightly. "Preaching to the choir. Say what you mind weeding my garden while I'm gone?"

"Sure," Takeru shrugged. "Not like there's anything else to do."

"Awesome, now leave me alone so I can go get packed," Oikawa said, giving him a light push to some of the other village kids.

The rest of the way to Oikawa's small cottage just on the edge of the village went fairly pleasantly, without any nosey villagers or spirits of divine destiny getting in his way. Which was why it was all the more pleasant when he opened his front door and saw-

"Ugh," Oikawa groaned. "Don't you have something better to do! What do you even do for fun? Just go measure how many centimeters the grass has grown or something."

Ushijima continued with his normal blank expression. "Measuring the small incremental movements of life is always an enjoyable pastime."

The thing was from over a decade of experience with him, Oikawa knew he wasn't kidding. Oikawa felt his eye twitch again.

"However," Ushijima continued. "I came to make sure you actually _were_ packing to leave for the palace and not trying to avoid your destiny."

Oikawa huffed. "Yes, I'll deliver the stupid letter to the stupid palace for my not-so-stupid village. You don't have to keep pestering me about it. Leave me to my remaining peace."

Ushijima nodded and for once, walked normally to the door.

"By the way," the Fate commented before leaving. "I fixed your garden for you while I waited. You're welcome."

With that Ushijima disappeared without a trace.

Oikawa banged his door open to look at his garden. The garden where he had specifically planted his flowers in messy, unorganized jumbles just because it might annoy the personification of Order. The garden that was now in perfect rows and organized by color in a precise rainbow pattern.

Without a word, Oikawa turned on his heel and walked back inside the house to find a pillow to scream into.

 _Fate was such a bitch._


	3. Chapter 3

_18 Years Prior_

 _Hinata couldn't feel his feet anymore._

 _The seven year old was tired and numb and felt so incredibly small and lost._

 _Five days ago, bad men had come into Hinata's village. Hinata's mother had pulled him outside and Hinata had heard yelling and screaming and seen fellow villagers crying. A fire had started-Hinata didn't know from where-and suddenly, it was everywhere and taking everything-even the bad men. Hinata's mother had pushed Hinata into a wagon with a group of other children and elderly and told him not to look back that she would help with the fire._

 _Mama was dead now. Hinata didn't need anyone to tell him that._

 _His village was...his village was gone._

 _Hinata had gone with the rest of the small group that remained to travel to the capital-to the palace._

We can get aid _, one of the older women whispered._ Rebuild.

 _Hinata wasn't quite sure what was left to rebuild but he thought that sounded...nice, maybe? Good, but in a way that felt distant, not part of him._

 _Hinata had left the group once they were in the capital and had walked and walked and walked until finally he had managed to slip past the guards and into the castle._

 _Mama had always told him to go to the palace if he was in trouble. To find the Queen. But...but the palace was a lot bigger than Hinata thought it would be and he hadn't seen anyone that looked like they could help._

 _Hinata sniffled and fought the urge to cry, turning another corner and finding a wide garden in front of him._

 _A silver haired man sat on a bench, looking out._

" _Excuse me," Hinata approached him. "I-I'm sorry to bother you but can you help me."_

 _The man looked down, surprised. "Oh, I didn't know anyone had come out here. Are you lost? Do you need help finding your parents?"_

 _Hinata shook his head. "My parents are d-dead. I-I'm trying to find the Queen. The Queen of Spades."_

 _The man smiled sadly. "Then you may be in luck. I'm the Queen of Spades, though most call me Suga."_

 _Hinata's eyes widened and he fought the shake in his legs to climb the bench so he could look the man in the eye._

" _Please, please, Mr. Queen, sir, I really really need your help," he said frantically. "My name is Hinata Shouyou and my village is gone and I don't have anywhere to go."_

" _Oh," the Queen breathed. "You're from Kiri, aren't you? The village that was attacked by the raiders. The knights were just sent to help with damages. Are you here with the refugees?"_

 _Hinata still didn't know what "refugees" meant but he had heard it a lot the past couple of days and thought it vaguely had to do with the people from the village so Hinata nodded._

 _The Queen very gently lifted Hinata's head and wiped away some spare tears that Hinata hadn't noticed he'd cried. "You, poor child. I am so very sorry for your loss. You must have traveled a long way to get here."_

 _Hinata nodded again, leaning into the warmth of the Queen's hand._

" _I know I can't fix everything," the Queen told him. "But I can help in all that I'm able. I can promise you that Spades will do everything it can to rebuild your village."_

 _Hinata let his eyes slip shut, listening to the calm voice that was telling him everything was going to be okay._

" _Would you like me to walk you back to the other refugees," the Queen asked and Hinata's eyes flew open. "I can talk to them personally and ensure them they have the full support of the palace."_

No, wait, _Hinata thought. This wasn't right. Hinata was supposed to stay here in the palace. He could feel it with every part of his body. He couldn't let the Queen take him back to the others._

" _Wait," Hinata cried out. "I don't want to go back to the others. Not forever at least. I want to stay here with you and live in the palace."_

 _The Queen looked at him gently. "I'm afraid that's impossible. Children don't normally live here. And I'm sure there would be a number of people from your village who missed you greatly."_

 _Everyone who Hinata had been close to were now dead or had fled to different parts of the country but Hinata didn't want to think about that._

" _Please, Mr. Queen, just let me live here. This can be my home, I know it!" Hinata pulled on the Queen's robes, trying to wiggle close enough that he'd never have to let go._

 _The Queen looked incredibly sad, almost unbearably so._

" _Hinata, I'm sorry, I can't-"_

 _His Mama had always told Hinata not to do this and to wait until he got older. But, if it was just the Queen then it would be fine, right? And Hinata_ had _to stay in the palace so he didn't have any choice._

" _Please, Mr. Queen," Hinata begged, shrugging off his jacket and showing his upper shoulder. "I'm the Ace of Spades."_

 _Suddenly, a bright light burst from Hinata's shoulder, so bright that Hinata wanted to look away but found he couldn't. Wind circled them, beating the branches against each other as the sound of thunder rolled through the sky._

 _When it finally stopped, Hinata looked down to see a shiny "A" inside where his plain black spade symbol had stood before._

 _Hinata gasped and looked back up at the Queen to check if he was seeing the same thing. The Queen was looking at him with wide surprised eyes under which, slowly, a kind warm smile started to appear._

" _It appears I was mistaken," the Queen told him. "This palace is your right as much as it is mine. Not a force on Earth could move you from it if you so wished it, my Ace."_

 _Hinata smiled, trying to sort through the Queen's words. "Does this mean I can stay and this castle can be my home."_

 _The Queen ruffled his hair lightly, pulling him into a small but very warm hug._

" _Oh, Hinata," the Queen whispered in his hair. "Spades will always be your home. It's where you belong."_

Belong, _Hinata thought. That sounded really, really nice._

 _ooooooo_

"You sure you don't have any chores for me," Hinata asked for what was probably the third time that day.

"I have the same number of chores I always have for you," Kageyama responded bored, looking down at his book.

 _Meaning none_ , Hinata filled in and mentally sighed. Okay, it was possible that he might maybe be stretching out the time until he had to leave so he could talk to Kageyama a bit more.

"If you're sure…" Hinata tried again.

"I'm sure," Kageyama answered firmly before looking up to frown. "How long will you be gone anyway?"

Hinata shrugged. "Probably no more than a couple of weeks? Three at the most." He smiled back at Kageyama, walking over to stand on the other side of the desk. "Why? Will you miss me?"

"No," Kageyama responded a little too quickly for Hinata to believe.

"You will, won't you?" Hinata said happily, leaning down so Kageyama had to look at him rather than the book.

"No," Kageyama glared. "I just...I mean isn't it a little bit weird that it's only you going if it's supposed to be dangerous and top secret information. Shouldn't Tsukishima send like some knights with you at least?"

It _would_ be a little bit weird that a single small courier was going alone with top secret information, Hinata reflected ruefully. If he was a normal courier, he meant.

He should probably talk to Tsuki about setting up some kind of cover story on why he didn't have guards. Maybe just lie once he was in Diamonds and tell them he'd left the guards outside the castle.

Instead of saying this however, Hinata just deflected. "Aww, you're worried about me!"

Kageyama rolled his eyes and turned back to the book, not bothering to deny it.

Turned down at the book, Hinata doubted Kageyama saw the small pleased smile Hinata sent in return.

"I'm sure I'll be back before you know it," Hinata said, moving around the desk to lean over Kageyama's shoulder and see what he was reading. _Tax law._

"How can I miss you if you never actually _leave_ ," Kageyama grumbled. He frowned, looking back up. "And why do you smell like moth balls?"

"Ugh, still?!" Hinata groaned.

The secret hallway by the eastside chamber was the _worst_.

ooooooo

Tsukishima had a bad feeling.

An annoying and completely illogical bad feeling that he very much wanted to stop bothering him so he could do other _much more important_ tasks that actually might have an impact on the kingdom. So, there. He was going to forget about it.

"My, that's certainly a serious expression. May I ask why your glaring at Hinata's back?"

Tsukishima glanced up to that the Queen of Spades had joined him in the castle overhang above the courtyard. Down below, Hinata was putting the finishing touches on his journey.

"Did you know," Tsukishima started in a dry matter of fact tone. "That of all the Suit members in the entire Card Kingdom, the Ace of Spades has the highest rate of being killed in duty."

Suga gave him a flat look. "I did actually. If you recall, I've lived through several."

Tsukishima winced, an apology on his tongue when Suga waved him off.

"The important thing," Suga continued, "is that I'm sure you've also known that for years so why are you bringing it up now? Are you worried about Hinata's mission?"

"Of course not," Tsukishima lied. "The idiot's the best there is. By far. Why would I be worried about him?"

"I'm not sure," Suga commented lightly. "But I'm sure it's not Hinata's horse that's got you glaring so it's got to be something."

Tsukishima scowled, purposefully turning away from said horse and rider to look at Suga.

"It's just a feeling," he muttered.

"What kind of feeling?"

"That I'm missing something," Tsukishima finally admitted. "That this whole thing is going to end up bigger than it seems and that Spades is going to be caught in the crossfire."

"Hmm," Suga paused, looking out as Hinata finally mounted the horse. "For all I know, you might be right."

Tsukishima nodded glumly, propping his head on one of his hands.

"I'm not worried though," Suga said decisively after a moment of silence.

Surprised, Tsukishima looked up to see the older man smiling.

"Why," he ventured.

Suga quirked an eyebrow at him. "It's like you said, Tsukishima. Hinata's the best there is."

The Queen turned and was half way down the hall before he called back one more time. "The best by far."

Tsukishima sighed and watched as Hinata's horse pulled out of eyesight.

Screw this, he obviously needed a distraction.

Stepping down from the balcony railing, Tsukishima walked down the palace halls until he finally ended up in what was, barring his private chamber and office, his favorite place in the whole castle.

The library.

Just as he stepped in, a smaller slightly mousy looking man stuck his head out from one of the shelves.

If asked, Tsukishima would fervently deny that this particular man had anything to do with why the library was his favorite.

"Morning," Yamaguchi called brightly. "Anything I can help you with, Tsuki?"

Tsukishima's brain suddenly came to an abrupt halt somewhere around the last syllable.

"What," Tsukishima demanded, tone perhaps a bit sharper than intended due to the surprise.

Yamaguchi frowned, confused. "Do you need any help? Oh!" The freckled librarian's eyes widened. "Tsuki, right, I've never called you that before. Your assistant Yachi told me everyone called you 'Tsuki' and that I should, too. Sorry, did I do something wrong?"

Everyone emphatically did not call Tsukishima "Tsuki". In fact, only two people in the entire world called Tsukishima "Tsuki". And those two were Yachi and Hinata. Yachi because she accidentally let it slip during her first month on the job-back when she looked like she would cry at every single wrong step-and he was guilted into not saying anything. Hinata because he'd grown up beside him since they were seven and he-not that Tsukishima would admit it, except maybe under extreme torture-might be something like what Tsukishima would consider a brother. An annoying brother, who he often wanted to strangle.

The point was practically no one called him "Tsuki" so there was no reason for him to say, "Sure, you can call me 'Tsuki' if you'd like."

Tsukishima resolved here and now that Hinata would _never_ find out about this.  
But Yamaguchi gave him that bright shy smile that made his eyes light up, so Tsukishima felt like maybe he had made the right choice.

He was so screwed.

"Thanks," Yamaguchi chirped before reaching out and pulling his hand. "Now, c'mon, I've got to show you this really cool thing I found in the history sections! Did you know that we have diaries dating back to the Suit's second generation!"

Tsukishima followed the librarian and quietly admitted that this had proved to be a pretty good distraction.

ooooooo

Oikawa was having a very, _very_ long day.

He had reached the capital early this morning and-after securing a room at an inn that Irihata had _ordered_ him he had to stay at rather than attempting to ride back on no sleep-he had gone straight to the palace.

Of course, once he'd gotten to the palace, he'd completely bypassed any of the palace's royal private chambers or throne room and gone to the office of census keeping. There he was told that by a very dour looking clerk that "since the census was being delivered past the proper arrival date"-here the clerk had looked at Oikawa as if he was a bug on his shoe- "he would have to officially go to an audience with a monarch and have them give proper approval".

And by all the _highly suspect odds_ , the Suit's official day of open audience for the public just happened to be today.

Oikawa sighed. He should have known the Fate wouldn't have made it that easy.

So, here Oikawa was-along with every other Hearts commoner that had a complaint-in the longest line in existence to get an audience with the one of the Suit of Hearts because that was apparently just how this day was going to go.

In front of Oikawa were two girls that couldn't be older than sixteen who hadn't stopped whispering and giggling since Oikawa had got in line an hour ago.

"I can't believe the Ace of Hearts himself is going to be overseeing the audience," one of the girls whispered, just loud enough for Oikawa to catch.

The shorter of the girls let out a dreamy sigh. "I heard he was _so_ handsome."

"Really," Oikawa interrupted. "That's strange I heard he had a giant boil on his face."

Startled, the two girls looked at each other before looking back at Oikawa.

"Really," the first girl asked.

"It's massive," Oikawa replied with a straight face.

The two girls looked conflicted before the shorter finally pulled up a brave expression.

"Well," she said, courageously. "I guess it's really his personality that matters."

Oikawa restrained an eye roll.

"Yeah," the other agreed, going back to a near worshipful tone. "And he's the Hero of Hearts so I'm sure it can't be that bad." She looked back at Oikawa, apparently realizing that he could be considered as fairly attractive as well. "Are you here because you a fan of the Ace, too?"

"Oh, yeah," Oikawa commented dryly. "The biggest."

"What's up with the bandage," the shorter asked, pointing at his right hand.

On reflex, Oikawa held the bandage hand that concealed his mark protectively closer to his chest.

"An old battle wound," Oikawa lied in a tone that warned against further discussion. "Terribly disfiguring so I keep it covered."

The two girls looked at each other horrified before deciding to go back to whispering to each other rather than continue talking to Oikawa.

Oikawa fought back a sigh. This was such a long day.

Two hours later and Oikawa had _finally_ made it near the front of the line. A palace guard with hair that was oddly shaped like a turnip had just called in the two girls in front of him and they had slipped past the massive wood doors that marked the entrance to the throne room. The girls were practically fainting in joy.

Oikawa had a good five minutes to wait where he hoped fervently that the Ace of Hearts was just as annoyed with the fawning fangirls as Oikawa had been. Though, knowing how royalty was, the Ace was probably _thrilled_ to finally get some kind of "proper recognition".

Finally, there was a knock on the throne room door and the turnip-head guard on Oikawa's side pulled it open to let the two girls out.

Almost in unison, the two girls let out large happy sighs.

Upon seeing Oikawa, the shorter of the two glared up at him.

"You were wrong!" she accused. "He _didn't_ have any kind of boil on his face."

Beside them, turnip-head hurriedly covered what Oikawa was sure had been a laugh.

"Really," Oikawa said with feigned innocence. He pretended to think for a second. "My mistake. The boil must be on his ass then. You see, his face and ass just look so similar that I often get them confused."

He was saved from what was sure to be the shrill and angry rebuttal by Oikawa's new personal hero Turnip Head announcing Oikawa's village.

Oikawa was quickly whisked forward and into the throne room, the heavy door closing loudly behind him. Immediately upon setting foot in the throne room, Oikawa felt the sense of _right, belong,_ and _stay_. He ruthlessly suppressed them, mentally cursing Ushijima in his head.

The throne room of Hearts was a wide open space with ornate stained glass windows covering both sides of the wall. In front stood four oak thrones with silver and red lining and in one of the middle thrones sat the Ace of Hearts.

Iwaizumi Hajimi-Ace of Hearts, the Noble Knight, the Hero of Hearts-had forgone his fancy finery and ornate armor for plain, though no less rich looking, clothes. Not that Oikawa could blame him if he'd already sat through five hours worth of audiences. His dark hair was cut close to his head, highlighting a strong jawline and deep set eyes. The fine white of his tunic brought out the tan from working out in the sun while the cut emphasized broad shoulders.

He didn't have a boil on his face. Oikawa was briefly disappointed even though he himself had started the rumor only an hour ago.

The throne room was empty except for Oikawa and the Ace. The Ace, the most powerful warrior in all of Hearts, had apparently decided that the normal tradition of having guards at the door was a bit superfluous when he could strike down any opponent before their hits landed.

 _Arrogant_ , Oikawa thought unfairly. He gritted his teeth. Well time to get this over with.

"Your Highness," Oikawa began and the Ace gestured for Oikawa to continue.

 _Be polite_ , Irihata's voice sounded in his head followed by Makki's parting, _And don't kill anyone!_

"My village sends a new copy of our census numbers to account for decrease in tax numbers," Oikawa told the Ace, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. "The office of census keeping sent me here to request your approval."

"Bring me the new numbers," the Ace responded evenly.

Oikawa got the parchment out and walked forward to the Ace, looking at the embroidery on his vest rather than his eyes.

The Ace took the paper from him, his fingers brushing Oikawa's right hand-inches away from the bandage-for one heart stopping second.

Oikawa backed away as quickly as he could without it looking like he was running away.

The Ace looked down at the figures. "Alright, good, everything seems to be in order. I approve the new census numbers."

Oikawa breathed out, not quite believing it could really be that easy.

"Why the decrease in population though," the Ace asked, curiously rather than accusatory.

Oikawa just fought a shrug. "This year, we had a disproportionate number of daughters marry outside of the village and move in with their new husband's family. That, plus some of the villagers moving away during the harsh winter, made us lose a fair number." He hesitated wondering how much more he should say. "The village will persevere though, Your Highness."

The Ace nodded absently. "Thank you. If that is all, you are free to leave."

Oikawa dearly, dearly wished that the census numbers had been all. Unfortunately, Irihata had told him to ask for one more thing while he was there.

"My village has one more request, Your Highness," Oikawa said.

The Ace just continued looking steadily at him. "Yes?"

"Due to the harsh winter, many of our villagers are having trouble managing," Oikawa told the Ace, focusing on his people rather than any contempt he felt for the throne. "We would request extra provisions or a decreased tax only for the next year so that we would be better able to recover."

"How much of a decrease," the Ace asked.

"My village requests a twenty five percent decrease only for the period of a year," Oikawa responded. "We want to be able to rebuild and serve our country. Please, just give us the time to do so."

The Ace regarded him evenly.

 _Stay calm, stay calm_ , Oikawa thought in a running mantra.

"I'll have to ask our Jack to look into the matter further," the Ace finally said. "I'm not sure we have the extra funds available and if we helped your village, we'd have to look into an equal decrease for the rest of the neighboring ones as well."

Irihata had already told Oikawa that was going to be the most likely answer. Fuck, Oikawa was surprised the Ace had even considered. The new census numbers had already been approved, so mission accomplished. All in all, Oikawa should really just keep his mouth shut.

"You'd have the funds available if you readjusted our tariffs with Nohebi and increased the silk and precious metal export tax by two percent."

The Ace frowned for the first time in the discussion and, if Oikawa had to guess at his expression, he'd say it looked...surprised. Not yet annoyed, but curious.

"If we did that," the Ace began. "It could compromise our treaty agreement with Nohebi or they could increased tariffs against us and it would all come down to nothing."

"Not if you also offered a lowering of the basic grain tax," Oikawa argued back, ignoring the voice in his head that told him to stop talking. "That way you could justify it as just redistributing the tariffs but actually silk and metals would still bring in more money since they have a bigger initial prize-plus, it would improve our reputation with Nohebi commoners since Nohebi's a desert and most of them use our grain as their primary source of food."

Now, the Ace was flat out staring at him. "The tariffs have been that way for the past twenty-five years."

Oikawa did shrug this time. "So? Doesn't mean they still have to be. Nohebi nobles pay a bit more for some silk and jewelry they don't need, the country commoners don't starve, and we get enough extra income to help our small villages. Win-win."

"Sorry, who did you say you were again," the Ace asked.

Oikawa's courage died where it stood.

"No one important," he responded quietly.

The Ace looked at him considering. "It's a big risk. I'd have to talk to the Jack about it before anything."

Oikawa knew what a "No" sounded like in fancy diplomatic language and he couldn't quite restrain a muttered, "Typical".

There was a long beat of silence.

"...I'm sorry, what did you say," the Ace finally asked.

Okay, maybe it hadn't been that muttered.

Well, fuck, in for the penny in for the pound.

"Oh nothing," Oikawa said, finally looking up to glare at the Ace. "I just think it's fairly typical that another monarch would once again chose screwing over his own people rather than even taking the small chance at screwing over some other country's wealthy elite."

The Ace looked like he was starting to get annoyed. Good.

"Look," the Ace said, obviously fighting to keep his tone eve. "I told you I'll have Yahaba look over your proposal and see what we can do."

"Great," Oikawa shot back, acidly. "So you can look at the numbers and say 'Oh, nope, just too much of a risk. Oh well, at least we tried' and pat yourself on the back. Fat lot of good that'll do for the rest of us, _Your Highness_ "

The Ace glared. "Has anyone ever told you that you've got a shitty personality."

 _Almost everyone,_ but Oikawa didn't say that.

"Has anyone ever told you that you make a shitty leader," Oikawa fired back.

The Ace got to his feet, stomping forward to Oikawa. "I'm doing what I can. Maybe you should back the fuck off until you know what you're talking about."

"I _do_ know," Oikawa said flatly, stepping forward until he was maybe a foot away from the Ace's face. "I know that ever since you took power fifteen years ago that almost no policy and regulation has been changed from the way they were before the war."

"The country was struggling to _survive_ ," the Ace yelled. "What? You wanted me to try for grand political overhaul as well?"

"Maybe not then," Oikawa argued. "I get that maybe right then the goal was just to get back together. But what, about now, twelve years later and were still heading right down the same path that led us to Civil War."

"The country needs stability," The Ace glared, curling his hands into fists.

"The country needs to be _better_ ," Oikawa yelled back, throwing up his hands. "You're supposed to be the _new_ generation of Hearts leaders and all you've done is get us right back to where we began."

"You don't know what you're talking about," the Ace repeated, taking another step forward until they were inches away.

"I know that we currently have a system where the poor struggle to survive without expecting any help from the Suit," Oikawa whispered fiercely, meeting the Ace's gaze directly. "I know that all of our money is going into rebuilding a capital that can't even tell what it is they're trying to build. And I know that nothing I say here is going to change that so why the fuck should I even bother, right?"

With that, Oikawa turned away-sending a very clear dismissal to the Ace.

"I can see myself out," Oikawa threw back, slipping through the door before the Ace could respond.

Outside Turnip Head and a sizable chunk of the nearby audience were staring at him in shock and Oikawa had a second to wonder exactly how sound proof that throne room was to two people yelling at the top of their lungs.

He strode off to the palace exit before anyone could stop him.

 _Seriously, fuck this day._


	4. Chapter 4

_112 Years Prior_

" _Are you sure about this, Koushi?"_

 _Suga looked away from the gardens and up to his King. "I'm sure."_

" _It will be a lonely path," the King warned. "Possibly unbearably so."_

 _Suga smiled a touch wistfully. "If it becomes too bad, I can always just reverse the magic and start aging again."_

" _And what about the Kingdom?" The King sat down beside him. "Just my forty years of ruling has been stressful enough. Are you sure you're up for the task?"_

 _Suga nodded, putting his hand over his heart where the mark laid. "If I wasn't, then Spades would not still hold me worthy. I'm ready for whatever life may bring."_

 _The King sighed heavily. "How do you always sounds so sure? You make me feel younger than I am while still looking the same age as my grandson."_

 _Suga touched the King's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "It's my magic that makes me sure. It tells me there's still more left for me to do."_

 _The King hummed. "Our Jack told me his replacement is almost fully trained and the new Ace just started his missions. With me retiring, soon you'll be the only one left from our generation."_

" _And I will treasure all of you forever," Suga told him sincerely. "I'll never let the Kingdom forget any of you."_

" _Suga," the King said softly. "We're not the ones I'm worried about."_

 _ooooooo_

Suga thought it was rather remarkable how some things changed over a hundred years while others stayed exactly the same.

The people, Suga's noticed, are always changing. Each one as different and as new as the year they were born into. Sure, certain similarities always remained-family characteristics or just simple human nature-but the essence of the person was always slightly altered. Suga honestly didn't think he could stand it any other way. If he was constantly surrounded by ghosts of the past without any memory of their shared experiences. But, new people...new people meant constantly getting the chance to learn, having a new chance to discover this person who lived in the land that Suga held so dearly.

Flowers, on the other hand, rarely differed.

The palace garden may now have a slightly different layout than it did a century ago-there were different plants, trees that had started as sprigs now stood tall and mighty. But unlike people, gardens always followed the same pattern. Suga knew that without fail spring would bring new life, summer would keep it, and then fall and winter would finally brush it away and ready the ground to start anew. There was something soothing about having a single pattern as unchanged as Suga himself.

"Enjoying the weather," a warm voice asked from behind him.

Suga smiled, not bothering to turn around but moving over on the garden bench so his visitor could join him. "Just looking at how the new flowers have grown. They seem bigger than they were last year. I'm surprised the gardeners didn't plant rose bushes like last year."

Or had that been ten years ago? Suga supposed it didn't really matter.

Daichi hummed slightly, taking the offered seat. Suga glanced over to see that he was still in his training clothes from that morning.

"How are the new knights doing," Suga asked.

Daichi rolled his eyes fondly. "Well, I'm pretty sure that after training Tanaka, I'm ready for anything that these rookies can throw at me." He smiled as Suga let out a light laugh. "But, yeah, there a good group. Going to make good knights one day."

Suga bumped his shoulder amicably. "All in having a good captain, I suppose."

"Well, I guess I might be doing something right if you're letting me stay, Your Highness," Daichi ventured, the light of the sun making his eyes glow a warm golden brown.

Suga quirked a lip up. "Stop being bashful. You're the best Knight's Captain Spades has had in ages."

"Only because we have the best kingdom to defend," Daichi replied without missing a beat, meeting and keeping Suga's gaze. "The best Suit."

Suga looked down, breaking eye contact.

Talking with Daichi was...well, Suga always liked to think of it as a bit of a dance. There was a constant balance to it, a symmetry that relied on both partners knowing their steps by heart and keeping a constant pull and push that never quite tipped one way or the other. Do it too long and the effect could be dizzying; but, during the moment, everything just seemed...wonderful.

Suga knew that Daichi believed himself in love with Suga. And that was...well, that would be impossible so there was really no use in thinking about what that was. Daichi was young, handsome, brave, and with a prestigious job as Knight's Captain that would make him popular with any person who he'd chose to pursue. In contrast, Suga was fully dedicated to Spades, would never be able to give anyone as much attention as his country, and there was the not so little matter that he was over five times Daichi's age.

All in all, the situation was impossible so Suga refused to dwell on it.

(He failed at that more often then he was willing to admit.)

"What brought you out to the garden's today," Suga prompted, not quite ready to let the dance end. "Just here to see the flowers?"

Daichi hummed again, neither disagreeing or agreeing. Instead, he tilted his head down, meeting Suga's eyes again with the same gentle intensity.

"I just thought the garden looked particularly beautiful today," Daichi said softly, still looking at Suga rather than the flowers.

Suga smiled lightly back and tried to pretend his chest didn't feel a bit too warm and a bit too tight.

ooooooo

Oikawa decided to take the long way back to the inn and try to think of some excuse to tell Irihata about his "interesting" trip to the castle.

 _Hey, Irihata, good news: the census numbers are approved so the new taxes should be fine. Oh, by the way, remember how you told me to be polite?...Well, that didn't go so well and I ended up basically telling the Ace-you know one of the most dangerous men in the world, leader of our country-to fuck off. So, I'll probably just go be exiled now. Make sure Takeru waters my plants. See you never!_

Yeah, that probably wouldn't go over too well. Shit, and he was almost at his inn, too.

Maybe Oikawa was overreacting. Maybe this kind of thing happened all the time and the Ace had already forgotten what one annoying commoner thought.

"Yeah," Oikawa muttered sarcastically. "Because I've always been so _lucky._ "

Well, who knows maybe he'd be attacked and killed by bandits on the way back and not have to tell Irihata anything. That would be swell!

"Hey, Pretty Boy!"

Oikawa looked up and groaned. He had been _joking_ about the bandits! Joking!

In front of Oikawa stood four heavily scarred and even more heavily armed burly men and absolutely none of them looked like they wanted to be Oikawa's new friend. Oikawa briefly took time to curse the castle's-probably reasonable but right now extremely annoying-no weapons policy as it meant he was unarmed with his knife was still back at the inn.

"Um, hey, guys!" Oikawa called back cheerfully. "Thanks for the compliment but you're really not my type. Always more fish in the sea though, right!"

The apparent leader of the group didn't look amused. "Hand over your money."

Oikawa gave them a disbelieving look and pulling at his threadbare tunic. "Do I really look like the type to have money? This is basically a rag by now."

The leader gave him a flat look. "No, but you do look like a small town messenger, who was sent to the palace. Villages always give your type a bit of cash for the road. So, hand it over."

Cursing under his breath, Oikawa fished in his back pocket for the bit Irihata had given him to get a horse for the way back. At least, the inn was already paid for.

He threw it at the leader, who caught it easily with his free hand.

"Much obliged," the leader responded before turning back to the group. "Kill him."

Oikawa's breath caught.

"I gave you the money," he yelled out as the men approached. "If it gets out you're killing people anyway, it would be terrible for business."

The leader shrugged. "Sure if it gets out. I don't think that's going to be much of a problem with you."

Watching four burly armed men approach him, Oikawa evaluated his options. He was a good fighter, possibly even a _really_ good fighter. But, even Oikawa wasn't arrogant enough to think he could take on four experienced armed men without even a knife.

So, running. Maybe if he could catch them off guard, he could slip through in the confusion and give himself a chance.

Not giving himself time to think about why this was a terrible plan, Oikawa ran quickly at the thug in the front.

The man's eyes widened in shock and he clumsily swung his sword at Oikawa. Oikawa ducked under it easily hitting his arm with his left hand and punching the thug in the face with the right. He felt a crunch as the nose broke under his hand.

 _One down_ , Oikawa thought, not pausing before jumping over the unconscious body and sprinting to an alley. If he could just be fast enough, he had a chance.

Oikawa tripped over a loose cobblestone.

He fell, hitting his knee on the way down and his arm on a nearby wall.

He moaned, looking up to the thugs who had by now caught up with him while he was laying helpless on the ground.

In the part of Oikawa's mind that wasn't going _Oh, Shit!_ , he dully thought that this was too much of a coincidence. This had to be Ushijima fault. Though, armed thugs didn't really seem like the Fate's style and Oikawa didn't think that Ushijima wanted him to die by bandits. But then again, Ushijima wasn't exactly human and might not have the best concepts of danger.

"You're going to die now, Pretty Boy," the thug on the left said, holding back his sword

Or maybe…oh, shit, what if this was it? Maybe he had finally pissed off the Fate enough that he had just decided to _murder_ Oikawa and find a new King.

Oikawa had one second to breathe in before the sword was swinging down and-

Was caught by another sword and flung back just as a person shaped blur hit into the second thug, knocking him back from Oikawa.

Not one to let an opportunity slip by, Oikawa quickly regained his footing and stepped away from the wall and back into open, maneuverable space.

The man with the sword still seemed to be processing why Oikawa wasn't dead or impaled yet so Oikawa took that moment to kick out, catching him in the stomach and knocking him back.

In less immediate danger, Oikawa surveyed the surroundings, throwing his head back to thank this savier.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Oikawa yelled instead.

The Ace of Hearts glared back from where he was fighting the second bandit.

"Saving your life apparently," the Ace snapped, finally knocking his opponents sword away and slicing into his ribs. His opponent dead, the Ace stalked back to Oikawa. "What? Couldn't even make it back to your inn before pissing someone else off!"

"They started it!" Oikawa defended loudly before a glint caught his eye and Oikawa hit the ground, throwing his arms over his head.

The thug leader's thrown knife passed over his head by inches, slicing through his shirt sleeve before embedding in the wall behind him.

Oikawa cursed, reaching behind him to grab the knife and turning back to the Ace. "And if you're supposed to be saving my life, you're doing a shitty job!"

The Ace rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, maybe you couldn't have taken on an entire _gang_."

The two stopped talking after that as the leader of the gang was now rushing them and the man that Oikawa kicked had recovered enough to brandish a sword at Oikawa.

"I hate this city," Oikawa muttered, before parrying the thug's sword with his small throwing knife.

Focusing on the fight, Oikawa noticed that the man was bigger and stronger than him but he was pretty sure the thug was also slower. Oikawa bent out of the way of his opponent's next thrust, curving his back so the sword passed harmlessly in front of him. Still, bringing a knife to a sword fight was really not the best strategy though Oikawa supposed he'd had worse-take five minutes ago for instance.

With the thug's next slash, Oikawa stepped to the left-to the outside of his opponent's arm and where his side would be unprotected. Oikawa jabbed the knife in a feint towards the thug's ribs, causing the man to quickly backup and sweep back wildly with his sword.

Oikawa had been expecting this and ducked the sing, slashing the thug's wrist when it came close enough.

The man yelled, grabbing at his bleeding wrist as the sword clanked to the ground. Oikawa didn't give him a chance to recover before plunging the knife hard at the thug's neck.

The man fell over dead before he had a chance to figure out what happened.

Breathing out slowly, Oikawa turned back to see how the Ace was fairing with the leader.

The Ace was currently passively wiping his sword on the body of the leader, who by the looks of it had at least been dead for at least a minute.

Oikawa glared. "You could have helped me, you know!"

The Ace looked up at Oikawa before slowly directing his gaze down at the dead man with Oikawa's knife still stuck in his neck.

"You seem like you had it covered," the Ace responded flatly. Something seemed to catch his sight then and the Ace's eyes widened, mouth dropping open.

Oikawa found he didn't really care.

"Oh, and what if I hadn't had it covered," Oikawa asked angrily, gesturing wildly. "So, what, 'oh look, poor little Oikawa, dead in the street because the Ace couldn't be bothered to-"

"You're the King," the Ace interrupted, pointing his finger at Oikawa.

Slowly, Oikawa followed the finger's path back to Oikawa's own hand. His uncovered hand. Where the thrown knife had, unnoticed, sliced through both his sleeve and the bandages to reveal a very familiar plain red heart.

Oikawa swallowed, looking back up at the Ace.

"So," Oikawa started. "I don't suppose we can just forget this ever happened, right?"

ooooooo

A dark shadow stalked the King of Diamonds.

Unaware of his silent voyeur, King Kozume Kenma walked quietly through the castle on his usual nightly walk to his private chambers.

The shadow followed, creeping like a hidden predator waiting for the chance to strike foolish prey.

Kenma continued onward-past the kitchen bustling with servants, past the library where the Queen and the Jack could be heard arguing, past even the Knight's quarters where dozens of the kingdom's warriors could be readied at a notice. Passing all those, the King entered his own private quarters where he could retire completely alone for the night.

The shadow waited, watching.

Running a hand through his hair, Kenma frowned and glanced around the room.

The shadow remained unseen.

Kenma turned back to his desk, grabbing a book from the top. He slowly made his way to the room's balcony where no sound but the night air could be heard.

The shadow readied itself.

Kenma leaned against the balcony, opening the book to the latest bookmark.

Above him, the shadow moved and-

"Shouyou, I wish you'd quit doing that," the King commented mildly.

Hinata dropped down, flipping quietly from the roof.

"Aww, Kenma, how'd you know I was there," Hinata pouted, slipping the mask off his face. "I could have sworn you didn't see me."

A small smile passed over the normally passive King and he set aside the book. "I didn't, but I knew you were coming. This is the first chance I've been alone since you arrived in the city, so I figured you'd try to surprise me."

Hinata scrunched up his face. "Am I that obvious?"

"Only to those who know you," Kenma reassured, stepping back to the room. "Come back inside before someone sees you."

The Ace smiled, following the King of Diamonds back inside before flopping back on the King's plushy bed.

"Ughhh, Kenma, I haven't been able to find _anything_ ," Hinata complained, staring up at the ceiling.

Kenma came to sit beside him. "Well, you've only been here a day. I'm sure there's still time."

Hinata winced, feeling slightly guilty. "Umm, three days actually. I just only checked in at the palace today."

Kenma hummed lightly. "I did wonder why you took longer this time."

"I just wanted a chance to search for the guys before their faces hit the guard patrol," Hinata explained. "You know they'll disappear once they realize someone's on to them."

"I suppose there's no real reason for Kuroo to set up a search then," Kenma commented idly.

"No, no, the search is still _definitely_ an awesome idea," Hinata responded, not wanting Kenma to think he had just waited their time. "Tsuki says that since the flyers only mention the murder of the merchant, the guys we're after will assume we don't know about the Marks or anything."

Kenma tilted his head, considering. "That's true, I guess."

Hinata breathed out in relief. "I'm just so annoyed that I haven't found anything yet. I thought for sure they'd come through here."

"They might have taken the river," Kenma suggested. "They'd still have to stop here briefly, but if they had a hose prepared it shouldn't have taken long."

"Or they could not be going to Hyakuzawa at all," Hinata muttered, "And we're stuck with another dead end."

Kenma paused, before looking down at Hinata with an expression of mild curiosity. "If you had found them, what would you have done, by the way?"

"Followed them," Hinata answered immediately. "Found out where they were from and tried to see who was behind it."

"What about delivering the letters to the other Suits," Kenma asked.

"Oh," Hinata said, seeing where Kenma was going. "I'd have doubled back after I saw where they were from and delivered the letters on my way back from Spades. You know I'd still be able to deliver them before people started to worry."

Kenma inclined his head, acknowledging the point.

The two friends sat in silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Who do you thinks behind it," Hinata finally asked, breaking the silence.

Kenma waited a moment, thinking through his words.

"Hyakuzawa's the most obvious choice," Kenma finally concluded. "The King has eleven other siblings and only one son, so there's no shortage of people vying for the throne. It would make sense that one of them would try to seek a Kingship elsewhere." Kenma paused a moment. "Though, at the same time, Hyakuzawa's current alliance with Cards doesn't show much friendship between our country and their's. With the animosity towards Cards plus having to be one King of four rather a lone King, it's likely they'd view King of Hearts as a step down from the Hyakuzawa throne." Kenma looked down at Hinata. "I doubt any Hyakuzawan noble that believe they have a legitimate shot at ruling Hyakuzawa would try for Hearts."

"That still leaves a lot of nobles though," Hinata commented.

Kenma nodded.

"Ughh," Hinata groaned. "I should get back out there and see if I can find anything before I have to leave for Hearts."

"Careful," Kenma warned softly. "Kuroo likes to patrol around now. It would be awkward if he saw the Ace of Spades at the same time Hinata the courier just happens to stay at the castle."

Hinata grimaced before nodding.

He stepped back on the balcony. "Hey, Kenma, if I actually _do_ find anything to follow, cover for me when I'm not in the guestroom tomorrow."

Kenma nodded. "I'll tell them you decided to leave for Hearts early."

"You're the best!" Hinata grinned .He reached out to give Kenma a quick hug that the other man allowed even if not reciprocating.

"Stay safe, Shouyou," Kenma told him.

"Always do," Hinata responded even though it was definitely a lie.

With that the Ace of Spades slipped his mask back on and jumped, catching the roof ledge and swinging himself back up into the night. Unlike the gently slopes of the Spade's palace, the Diamond's castle was all spires that were as sharp as the mark that gave the Suit their name, making it nearly impossible for all but the most balanced person to walk across them without slipping. Hinata didn't have much trouble.

He winced, thinking about the first time he tried to walk the roofs of Diamonds. It was right around the time where Takeda had first given him missions and it had rained the day before making the roofs extra slippy. Hinata...might have slipped and tumbled down the roof until he landed hard on a balcony….the King of Diamond's balcony.

On the bright side, it was how he had become friends with Kenma and the young monarch had promised him he would keep his secret even from the rest of the Diamond Suit so Hinata guessed it worked out alright. Still, he was _never_ telling Tsuki about that particular part of the mission. The blond would never let it down.

Hinata went into a controlled slide down another spire, using the momentum to flip gracefully to the next roof. Kenma had said that the Ace of Diamonds liked to patrol around now so Hinata would have to take the long way out of the castle to avoid getting caught.

If there was any Suit member that the Ace of Spades had a healthy fear of running into, it was Kuroo Tetsuro-the Ace of Diamonds. It wasn't that Hinata was scared of the Ace or thought he would try to hurt him or anything. He'd talked to him enough as Hinata the courier to know that despite the perpetual smirk, Kuroo was a pretty nice guy. It was the Ace of Diamond's power that made Hinata wary.

As the legend told, every Ace had one small extra skill-new to every generation and every Suit. Supposedly, the skill was originally given to the Aces so they'd have a better chance of creating peace during the Card Kingdom's tumultuous beginnings. Hinata kept his skill a closely guarded secret-only trusting the small number of people who knew about both of his identities.

The Ace of Diamond, like the rest of the Aces, didn't much stock in hiding his ability and used it regularly. And that would be fine if he had another ability like the Ace of Heart's strength and healing or really even the Ace of Club's one second precognition. But, the Ace of Diamond's ability was one that Hinata really, _really_ wanted to avoid-Strength and Weakness Assessment.

For a spy and assassin who guarded every small bit of identifying information as a risk to discovery, the fact that Kuroo could-with just a look-have a general overview of his body's strengths and weaknesses was terrifying.

Luckily, the Ace of Diamonds had never actually _seen_ the Ace of Spades-though not for lack of trying. And, as for the courier Hinata, Kenma had once confided in him that Kuroo's ability only worked during a fight or when that person had the intention of starting a fight. As long as Hinata kept himself relaxed and not battle ready around Kuroo-which after years and years of constant vigilance, really wasn't that easy-then the Ace of Diamond's wouldn't be able to read a thing.

On the roof, Hinata spotted the Ace of Diamond's familiar messy hair from the next walkway and quickly jumped over to a roof in the opposite direction. Hinata crouched down, making sure there wasn't even a chance he could be seen within the cover of shadows. On the adjacent walkway, Kuroo continued on unaware.

Hinata breathed out in relief, pausing on the roof and letting his black uniform blend into the tile while he took a second to readjust his center of gravity and plot another path-this time without running into _Kuroo_.

A movement a few spires over caught Hinata's eyes and the spy glanced up, keeping his own motions small and unnoticeable.

Someone...someone else was on top of the spires of Diamonds. Hinata tilted his head curiously, watching the all black figure trip briefly and right themselves as they eased over to the next roof.

 _Well,_ thought Hinata. _That's certainly suspicious._

Searching through the town would have to wait; mysterious figure sneaking across roofs-that _wasn't_ Hinata-definitely took precedence.

Careful not be seen himself, Hinata slipped off his own roof and to the next roof in the direction the figure was heading.

Whoever the figure was, they were obviously less experienced in traversing the castle spires, barely catching themselves a number of times as they crossed between roofs. Hinata kept one roof behind them, trying gauge where they were heading based on his knowledge of the castle interior.

Finally, the figure climbed to one of the most narrow roof's of the castle and one that Hinata had no trouble identifying-the Ace of Diamond's private quarters.

With a grace that made Hinata believe they were a professional, the figure dropped from the roof and slid into the narrow solitary window. Hinata watched from outside, putting the pieces together in his head.

The Ace of Diamond's was out on a routine patrol and wouldn't be expected back until later in the night. The rest of the guards staff was on duty but it was the shift directly after dinner, where the guards were still jovial and easily distracted. If Hinata was planning a time to break into the Ace's private chambers, this would be it.

Roughly ten minutes passed before the figure eased back out of the window, balancing on the window ledge while shutting the window behind them. The figure swung back up to the roof, tripped and slid back down a foot or so, before finally righting themselves and crouching down.

Hinata peered intently into the dark as the figure slipped a sheet of paper into their shirt, the fabric securing it against their chest.

With that, the figure began moving quickly, sliding from roof to roof while Hinata continued to follow. This time, instead of moving inward to the center of the castle, the figure seemed to be heading to the castle edges.

Hinata watched as the figure finally reached the palace wall and turned down the other side to climb to the forest bellow. Hinata jumped and landed on the wall a bit further down-in the shadow of a guard tower-and started his own climb down the tower.

Once on the ground and still unaware of his trail, the figure sprinted into the trees-all but disappearing into the thick forest growth. Hinata would have laughed if it wouldn't give him away. It would take more than a dark forest and speed to lose him.

Swinging through the tree branches rather than following by ground, Hinata trailed the figure through the forest until they finally emerged by a small stream with a wagon next to it.

"Finally," a man by the wagon announced with a thick Hyakuzawan accent. "I can't believe it took you so long to grab one single paper."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the figure responded, harshly pulling off his mask to reveal sandy hair and a sharp face. "Why don't next time you climb the towers that the thieves call the Death by Diamonds. I almost fell _five times_. It's a fifty foot drop!"

The other man rolled his eyes. "Did you get the plans or not."

The sandy haired man glared, pulling out the paper Hinata had seen earlier out from his top. "Of course, I got it. Wouldn't bother coming back otherwise."

"Good," the other replied shortly. "Then let's get out of this backwards fucking country before anyone realizes it's gone."

"Don't worry. With the amount of paper in that office, they won't realize it's missing for at least a month," sandy haired man reassured. "I'd reckon more."

"Just get in the wagon and pretend to be a good little traveling merchant before you jinx us," the other answered, already moving to the front of the wagon.

"Yeah, yeah," sandy haired man waved him off, pulling back the back flap to the wagon and slipping inside.

 _Crap_ , thought Hinata. If he didn't move quick, they'd be gone before he got a chance to see what the paper was.

Hinata slipped out a short knife from his suit and aimed it at the wagon wheel. A small but powerful flick of his wrist and the knife sailed through the air, cutting through one of the wheel prongs.

A second later, the driver pulled on the horses reins and the wagon moved into action-unknowingly putting pressure on the bad wheel, which broke only a few rotations in. The wagon lurched forward unbalanced and the driver quickly pulled the cart to a stop.

"What's going on," the sandy haired man yelled from inside the wagon.

"The fucking wheel broke," the driver cursed. "Grab the extra from the back and help me change this thing."

That had gone even better than Hinata hoped. The spy flipped quietly down from the tree, easing his way around to the unmanned side of the wagon before darting into the back flap.

Inside, the wagon looked like an ordinary merchant supplier. Hinata paused briefly, trying to guess where the sandy haired man had put the parchment.

He was in luck. The sandy haired man obviously hadn't had time to hide it yet and the paper laid abandoned on one of the grain barrels. Hinata quietly bent over to unroll it, mindful to listen for the two men working outside.

Hinata looked down, curious to see what the thieves had thought was important enough to steal.

 _Shit_ , Hinata mentally cursed for the second time in a span of days. A basic defense layout for Diamond's palace. No wonder the two were eager to get out of town. Having this would mean an immediate execution.

Hinata bit his lip, thinking. There was _no way_ he could let the thieves have this. Not only would Kenma kill him, but the entirety of Diamonds would be put at risk. At the same time, it would be much better if the thieves never knew about Hinata's involvement which would be basically impossible if he took the plans.

Moving quickly, Hinata took out a spare sheet of parchment that he kept in his uniform just for situations like this. He laid the blank paper next to the Diamond defense plans and pulled out another knife, carefully cutting his parchment until the two were roughly the same size.

Now, came the harder part. Everyone technically had the ability to do magic but few actually had the talent to do it well-Mages, of course, practically in a field of their own. Magic...wasn't exactly Hinata's strong suit. As in, Suga still gave him pained looks whenever the younger even so much as mentioned the word. But, still, Hinata thought he knew enough for a basic copying spell.

As Suga had explained it, magic came down to three parts: feeling, thinking, and pushing. Tsuki always got the thinking part right but never the feeling so his spells always fizzled out as soon as he tried them. Hinata, on the other hand, only got half way through the thinking before pushing way too hard which tended to end in explosions. Suga had one time joked that together they'd make an acceptable magician. But, as magi was generally a one person task, the two ended up being rather atrocious.

All of this meant that Hinata was working extra hard on thinking through the simple spell so he didn't accidentally catch the entire wagon on fire. It helped some that what Hinata wanted to do was, in theory, even more simple than a copying spell. A copying spell would mean that Hinata needed to think hard about the image he wanted to copy, feel for the new parchment, and then push the magic until the image appeared on the new paper. With the spell Hinata wanted to try, he didn't even need the exact image. In fact, he was _trying_ to create an imperfect replica-with skewed calculations and wrong troop numbers.

Hinata closed his eyes and pushed. _Don't catch on fire. Please, don't catch on fire._

He paused and didn't feel at a sudden burst of flame. He inched his eyes open.

In front of him, laid a copy of what at first glance looked to be a copy of Diamond's defenses but when examined closer, had none of Diamond's actual strategies. Of course, the fake would be obvious when inspected by a trained Mage but Hinata figured for a couple of thieves, it was good enough.

Also, by the slight sheen on the paper, Hinata might have accidentally made it fireproof. _Oops._

Just then, the wagon tilted back and Hinata heard a cry of success from the men outside.

 _Time to leave,_ Hinata thought, grabbing the original defense plan and slipping out the back of the wagon before either thief could notice he was there. Hinata ducked into some underbrush beside the clearing and watched as the thieves resettled and finally the carriage pulled away down an old dirt path.

Hinata breathed out. Okay, first things first. He took out the defense pages and-with a quick apology to Kenma-ripped them into as small of pieces as he could and proceeded to throw them into the stream. As he watched the water rinse the ink from the paper, Hinata hoped that the King of Diamonds would understand that the paper was better destroyed than to possibly fall into the wrong hands of where Hinata would be going.

Speaking of going, he stepped out and looked into the direction of where the wagon had pulled off.

 _Now for the cool part,_ Hinata smiled. The Ace of Spades may not have something well known like strength or precognition and Hinata might be biased, but the spy personally thought that his power was the coolest. Definitely, the most useful.

Hinata closed his eyes, reaching for that specific feeling somewhere in his core-the same place that always looked at Spade's palace and thought immediately _home_ or that looked at the people and thought _protect_ , the same place where Hinata _felt_ the Ace of Spades rather than just having some mark on his arm.

When Hinata opened his eyes again, the whole world had sharpened and slowed. The Ace glanced around and saw the forest down to the minute detail. Individual leaves swayed gently in an almost unnoticeable breeze. The stream cut and whirled together like an ever moving kaleidoscope. In the air, the moon reflected off dragonfly wings shining like rainbows. Shifting his focus to the road, Hinata saw the wagon weaving through the forest about half a mile down.

Shaking out his legs from crouching, Hinata readied himself and... _ran._ A few seconds later, Hinata easily caught up to the wagon-slowing down to match their pace through the cover of the forest.

And, yeah, maybe, enhanced speed and vision didn't _sound_ like the coolest power-and really, even at full speed, Hinata was only slightly faster than a horse-but there was absolutely _nothing_ like running full pace and feeling the wind blow back his hair or looking out from a tall tower and being able to see _everything_ for miles. Plus, it made him an excellent courier.

Grinning from beneath his mask, Hinata settled himself in for a long journey-sending a brief mental thank you to Kenma for covering for him in Diamonds.

It was time for Hinata to find out who was pulling the threads.


	5. Chapter 5

_17 Years Prior_

 _Ten year old Oikawa Tooru sat bored outside the town pub, wondering what he was going to do with his day._

 _He'd already checked in with all the local shopkeepers and they hadn't had anything for him to do. Makki and Matsu were busy with...something, Oikawa honestly figured he was better off not knowing._

 _He sighed, wondering how annoyed his grandmother would be if he came home early._

 _This morning, the elderly woman had_ demanded _that he get out of the house and enjoy the day. Just because she was sick was no reason for Oikawa himself to waste away while he tried to take care of her._

 _Oikawa scratched the bandages around his right hand and wondered idly if going to the palace and Claiming his title would get his grandmother the help she needed._

 _It was a nice thought but even at ten, Oikawa knew that no amount of wealth was a cure for old age. Besides his grandmother would kill_ him _if he put himself in so much danger._

 _Just then, Oikawa heard a loud scoff inside the pub._

 _Curious and without anything better to do, Oikawa stretched up on his toes and peered through the window._

 _Mr. Nakayama, the local bread maker, was sitting across from Mr. Hanamaki-Makki's dad and the town butcher. Both men looked more than just a bit angry._

" _I can't believe they raised the taxes again," Mr. Nakayama bit out. "Honestly, I don't know if this Queen is trying to protect us or starve us himself."_

" _Probably the latter," Mr. Hanamaki commented dryly. "That way he won't have to even_ pretend _to care about us."_

 _Mr. Nakayama scrubbed the back of his head roughly. "Not to mention the Ace. Did you hear he picked another fight with Diamonds? At this rate, I'm not even sure our allies will help us."_

" _They will," Mr. Hanamaki reassured, rattling off the Card Kingdom's motto. "Cards stands united."_

 _Mr. Nakayama hummed unconvinced. "Not for long, if helping Hearts will mean jeopardizing their own Kingdoms. And with the Ace's attitude toward Nohebi, that might be sooner rather than later."_

" _I'm more concerned with how our village is going to survive the latest tax increase," Mr. Hanamaki sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I've got a kid to take care of and this will barely leave me with enough money to fill one plate, let alone three."_

 _Mr. Nakayama nodded, settling into a more serious expression. "Me and my wife thought about leaving for Clubs honestly."_

" _Are you," Mr. Hanamaki asked._

 _Mr. Nakayama shook his head. "Don't have enough money. We know people here. This village is our home. It's not worth the risk to try to settle in somewhere else."_

 _Mr. Hanamaki looked sympathetic. "We could petition the King for a decrease in taxes."_

 _Oikawa jolted slightly at the name of his title, even though he knew they meant the current King of Hearts._

 _Mr. Nakayama laughed bitterly. "What so he could do nothing like always? No, face it, as soon as they get the crown on their heads, a monarch will_ always _forget the people they serve. It's how their minds work."_

" _Seems only right that the people should be allowed to forget them, too. Doesn't it?" Mr. Hanamaki commented dryly._

 _Mr. Nakayama laughed again, this time with more sincerity._

 _He held up his glass. "To forgotten Kings, then?"_

" _To forgotten Kings," Mr. Hanamaki answered, clinking his glass._

 _The two men threw back the rest of their drinks before sitting silently a moment._

" _As if we could," Mr. Nakayama muttered, a touch of honest grief in his eyes._

 _Oikawa didn't want to listen anymore._

 _The ten year old dropped down from the ledge and walked away from the bar. He continued walking until he got to the stream just outside of the village where he finally sat down and dipped his feet into the running water._

 _Oikawa felt vaguely nauseous and he wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't really anything he hadn't heard before. There was no lost love between his village and the Hearts Suit. But...no one had ever quite used that word before. Forget._

 _Before he had always thought of the mark as some kind of vague predictor of his future. A certainty that hasn't come yet. But, now? Oikawa looked down at his right hand and suddenly he felt like his mark was some kind of rash or a barely closed wound. Disgusting and meant to be hidden._

 _If becoming King meant forgetting his people, then Oikawa would much sooner forget being King._

 _ooooooo_

"Forget?!" Iwaizumi yelled back, bewildered. "What do you mean forget?! You're the _King!"_

The man- _his King!-_ scrunched up his face in an expression of clear disgust. "Yeah, that. Do you think we could like forget we ever saw each other? You go back to the castle? I go back to my village? _Never_ see each other again. Not even send holiday cards."

Iwaizumi felt very, very confused. "No, we can't forget this ever happened. You're the King! How are we supposed to forget about that?!"

"I'm not the King," the man spat back immediately.

Iwaizumi supposed that was technically true.

"I mean no, not yet," Iwaizumi answered. "You obviously haven't Claimed your title. But, you can do that whenever. We just need to go back to the castle."

"No, you don't get it," the man glared. "I am _not_ the King. I will not _be_ the King. And I want this stupid mark to _disappear_."

Iwaizumi reared back in shock, taking in the man.

The man was...well, annoying was the first word Iwaizumi thought but he guessed that wasn't important. Even if Iwaizumi hadn't met the man earlier (and wasn't that a conversation that was going to need later thought), it would be clear he was from a small village. His clothes were practical but well worn and would obviously have been replaced years ago if he had the available funds. He was attractive, Iwaizumi admitted grudgingly, possibly incredibly so with high cheekbones, smooth skin with the hint of a tan, and brown windswept hair. He was also a decent enough fighter judging on what Iwaizumi had seen earlier.

All in all, he didn't _look_ insane. But, apparently looks could be deceiving.

The man, the King, the...whoever he was shuffled uncomfortably in the silence.

"Why are you here anyway," the man demanded. "What are you following me?" His eyes widened, taking in Iwaizumi's sword. "Oh my gosh, did you come to _kill_ me for yelling at you earlier?!"

"What?" Iwaizumi barked out, annoyed.

"You did, didn't you?!" the man yelled back, pointing angrily. "You're probably just mad the bandits almost beat you to it!"

"I don't want to kill you," Iwaizumi finally snapped. _Yet._

The man glared. "Then, why are you here?"

Iwaizumi glared back. "I'm _here_ to tell you that I talked to the Jack and he thought your plan about the Nohebi tariffs was good"-well, _amazing_ was the word Yahaba used but let's not get ahead of himself- "so, I decided to stop by your inn on my usual patrol and tell you so you could give word to your village."

 _And maybe rub it in the annoying villager's face after he told him he was a bad leader._

Said villager continued to glare. "How did you where my inn was?"

"For the love of-How paranoid are you?" Iwaizumi shouted. "You wrote it on your application for the audience."

The man hummed. "...Fine. I've been told. You can leave now."

 _Is he an idiot or being deliberately obtuse._

"No," Iwaizumi retorted. "I can't just 'leave now'. Why don't you want to be King?"

"Can you stop saying that!" the man snapped frantically. "People could hear you."

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. "This street was abandoned for construction back during the war. Why do you think no one but bandits and idiotic tourists go on it? Now, stop dodging the question."

The man huffed. "Alright, fine. Why do I not want to be King? Hmm, well, first maybe because I actually _care_ about Hearts and you're running it into the ground."

Iwaizumi breathed out and tied to rein in his temper. Hearts _needed_ this man and based on what Spades had found, they needed him soon.

"Okay, fine," Iwaizumi finally responded. "So, you hate how I'm running it. Why don't you try to change that?"

That seemed to give the man pause.

"I...I thought about it," the man finally admitted, sounding sad. "But, I don't think I could. Not like this anyway. Not from a palace." He shook his head and the anger was back. "I'll do _anything_ I can for my people but being King of Hearts isn't it. The only reason I still have this stupid mark is because the Fates hate me."

Iwaizumi wasn't going touch the second part of that sentence, but the first part he might be able to do something about. A person that still cared about Hearts people was a person Iwaizumi could work with. Maybe...maybe, if he got him in the palace, he could change his mind.

"Come back to the castle with me." Iwaizumi said.  
"What you mean like a prisoner!?" the man squaked. "No! I'd rather die."  
"What? No! Of course not as a prisoner!" Iwaizumi yelled back immediately "Ugh, why would you even think that? As a guest, moron!"

 _This guy is seriously the most paranoid, annoying person I've ever met._

The man looked at him considering. "Why?"

"Geeze, I don't know," Iwaizumi said sarcastically. "Because whatever you say, you _are_ the King of Hearts and the county _needs_ you."

"The country need me where I am, thank you," the man retorted calmly. "Why do you want me in the castle when you _know_ I don't approve of like half of what you've done."

"Maybe because I care more about the country than my own stupid pride," Iwaizumi bit out, restraining the urge to just punch him and drag him back to the castle.

The man looked...faintly shocked actually and Iwaizumi wondered exactly how bad of a person he thought Iwaizumi was.

"If you want me to become King, I'm not going to change my mind" the man finally stated.

 _I'll deal with that later_ , Iwaizumi decided. Right now, he just needed to get him into the castle.

"Then, just come to the castle for a bit," Iwaizumi tried. "Just for….just until we leave for the Summer Festival in a month. And if you do,"-shit, this was going to be a gamble-"then I will _personally_ make sure no one ever bothers you about being King again."

The man looked at him, obviously trying to measure how serious he was. Iwaizumi wondered if he had made a mistake.

"I don't know if I believe you," the man replied honestly. And, yeah, that was fair Iwaizumi didn't know if _he_ believed himself. If Hearts needed the man, he didn't know if he'd be able to just let him walk away.

Crap, what did the man care about. What could Iwaizumi offer?

"If you stay for the month," Iwaizumi started. "Then, I'll decrease your villages taxes like we discussed."

The man's head shot up. "You said we were _already_ getting the tax decrease?"

He did and they would. There was no way that Iwaizumi would punish a village, let alone multiple, just because one of their villagers was a prick. But...but the man didn't know that. The man thought he was another uncaring royal. And...maybe, this wasn't the best plan to convince the man to not that him but if it made him stay, Iwaizumi would take it.

So instead of backing down, Iwaizumi just said, "Come to the palace for the month."

The man met his eyes and Iwaizumi knew two things. First, if the man _could_ kill him in that instant, Iwaizumi would be dead. And, second, if the man had ever had even an iota of respect for the Ace, then it was gone now.

"Fine, _Ace_ ," the man said, spitting the title like a curse. "I'll stay at the palace for _one_ month if you decrease my village taxes."

Iwaizumi swallowed, pushing down the guilt and regret.

"You know you don't have to call me Ace or anything," Iwaizumi told him. "You can just call me 'Iwaizumi'"

The man looked at him coldly.

"Alright, Iwa- _chan_ ," the man said, adopting a false and sickly sweet tone. "Lead the way."

Iwaizumi hesitantly walked up beside him. "What's your name, by the way? The form...the form just said your village."

"Oikawa Tooru," the man-Oikawa answered blandly. "But, don't worry. I can assure you it won't matter come a month."

Iwaizumi breathed out. He had a feeling it was going to be a _really_ long month.

ooooooo

Kageyama sat in the library, staring blankly at his book.

He muttered a curse under his breath. This was stupid. This was so stupid. Kageyama couldn't concentrate and the reason why was just...so incredibly stupid.

It was insane, too. Kageyama literally spent almost every minute of his day reading. For _years._ He had long since been able to work through problems in concentration by just buckling down and doing it. There was no reason he should be having trouble today.

But, the fact remained that...

He missed Hinata. He _really_ missed Hinata.

He missed Hinata and he couldn't focus on _freaking_ anything without thinking about it and that was just...well, stupid. It wasn't like he wanted to be at Hinata's side all the time. That would be ridiculous and frankly, all told, he generally only spent a few hours a day with him even when Hinata was here. He just...wanted Hinata to be back in the castle. To be close to him. To know he's safe. To see his smile and hear his voice. And, yeah Kageyama knew what that meant. He knew that he was probably at least a little bit in-

"Is there a particular reason you're trying to burn down the library just though the power of your glare alone," asked a voice as dry as a desert.

Kageyama glared up. "Go away. I'm reading."

"Yes," Tsukishima drawled. "I can tell by you utter concentration. Is there a reason the King deigned to join us mere mortals rather than hiding away in the tower?"

"Shut up," Kageyama muttered, turning back to the book. "I _do_ go to the library sometimes."

"Yes," Tsukishima answered, raising an eyebrow. "Once a week, always on Tuesday afternoons when it's the least busy, and always picking up seven to nine books depending on length. Is there a reason you're here late at night on a Thursday?"

Kageyama mentally cursed Tsukishima's ever present knowledge.

"I ran out of books," Kageyama bit out shortly.  
Tsukishima hummed. "Ran out of books? Or none of them interests you?" The Jack tilted his head. "Not missing a little red haired courier are you, my King?"

Kageyama's head shot up. There was no way. _No way_ that he knew. Kageyama himself had only figured it out a week ago.

Tsukishima returned Kageyama's stare with an amused look. "If you are then I don't think," he peered at Kageyama's book, "naval warfare will be much of a distraction."

The Jack gave the King a curious look. "You do that you need to go _outside_ for warfare. Right, my _King_?"

Kageyama really, _really_ wanted to hate Tsukishima...and sometimes he even managed it for a short while. The Jack of Spades was rude, often mean spirited, arrogant, and...trying to help Kageyama in his own incredibly pushy way. Kageyama knew people thought he was broken, damaged, not fit to be King. People walked on eggshells around him, constantly trying to soften any blows he might face. Almost everyone treated him softly, even Suga did it sometimes. (Hinata didn't, but that was a separate issue). Tsukishima never did that. He goaded him, taunted him, sometimes outright bullied him but he _never_ treated Kageyama anything less than a King.

So, yeah, maybe Kageyama couldn't hate him. But he still thought the guy was a dick.

A dick that was currently poking critically at Kageyama's uneaten dinner.

"Honestly," Tsukishima said, examining the turkey leg for any signs it had been touched. It hadn't. "You could at least _pretend_ to eat your dinner. Move the peas around at least. Something to make the chefs not hate you."

Kageyama glared. "I wasn't hungry.

"Obviously," Tsukishima rolled his eyes before pausing, looking back at the turkey curiously.

"Actually," the Jack asked slowly. "Kageyama, what kind of turkey is this. The flavoring?"

Kageyama frowned, trying to remember what the servant had said. Kageyama had been trying (and failing) to read. "Umm...I think he said it was honey glazed. Why?"

"That's my favorite," Tsukishima responded thoughtfully. He glanced up at Kageyama. "Do you mind if I have this. I can already tell it's going to waste with you."

"Sure," Kageyama huffed. "Whatever, I already told you I wasn't hungry."

"Much obliged," Tsukishima said blandly. "Come to think of it. This is _much_ better than the sandwich that I all but _begged_ Yachi to bring me, even though she was already stopping by the kitchen. Which servant brought you this? It's always important to recognize good help."

Kageyama shrugged, looking back at the book.. "I don't know. I was reading."

"Really," the Jack said unimpressed. "You don't remember _anything_ about the servant. Paying attention to those under you is a mark of a good ruler."

Kageyama glared, but blushed slightly. "I was distracted! It was some guy that I didn't remember. I can't remember every servant in the entire castle."

"Of course you can't," Tsukishima responded sarcastically. He looked around at the library. "Exactly how long are you planning on bothering the library staff. They're trying to close, you know?"

Kageyama hadn't known actually. "I just want to finish this chapter."

The Jack stared at him flatly. "I've heard that before. If I leave you right now, you'll stay past midnight finishing the book and the librarians will never get any sleep."

Kageyama opened his mouth to argue but Tsukishima stood up before he could.

"Ennoshita!' Tsukishima called to one of the guards that had just happened to walk by the entrance. "Would you mind staying with the King until he finishes _one_ chapter and walking him back to his room to make sure he actually does get some sleep."

"Oi," Kageyama protested. "I would have done it on my own. You didn't have to bother one of the Knights."

"Of course not, my King," Tsukishima soothed while still making it sound highly skeptical.

Ennoshita covered a light laugh in the corner, smiling in apology when Kageyama glared.

"Good night, my King," Tsukishima told him, picking up the turkey. "Sleep well."

Kageyama rolled his eyes. "Thanks. You, too."

The Jack nodded, leaving the library. And Kageyama turned back to his book. Well, at least Tsukishima had made it a short visit.

Kageyama started his book on naval warfare again before musing curiously if Hinata had ever been on a boat.

The library echoed with a thud as Kageyama's head hit the table out of frustration, followed by a soft "My King?".

 _Ugh,_ Kageyama thought. _Maybe I should just go to sleep._

 _ooooooo_

Following the thieves had, unsurprisingly, led Hinata to the very center of the Hyakuzawan Empire-their capital. Unsurprising since, as they had already assumed that some kind of Hyakuzawan noble was behind this, Hinata had half-expected to be led here since the majority of nobles lived in the city.

Right after getting into the city, the thieves had exchanged their merchant wagon at a less than reputable looking dockside shop and were now traveling by foot. Hinata had taken to the rooftops of the city and was pleased to note that the city was quite beautiful actually. Obviously nothing close to Spades or the rest of the Card Kingdom, but the city was full to the brim with all manner of paper lanterns and tea lights until the night almost looked like day. This made it simultaneously easier and harder for Hinata to hide. Easier because there were a lot more shadows and no one ever looked above the lanterns to the roof; but harder in the moments were the roofs weren't close enough together and Hinata had to weave through few specks of darkness on the ground like a shadow running from the light.

Which is how the thieves had led him to what appeared to be their final destination-which was _much_ more surprising and _a lot_ more worrying.

Hinata stood poised in the shadows of the Hyakuzawan imperial palace.

On the bright side, this all but confirmed that whoever was behind this was a Hyakuzawan noble. On the incredibly darker side, this vastly increased the chances of someone higher up in the kingdom's royalty being behind it. Increased the chances of an all out war.

Also, unfortunate was the Hyakuzawan palace's design. Large domes covered in gold made up the architecture with few if any windows. Hinata _hated_ designs like this.

The spy bit his lip, wishing he had time to put together a disguise. This was...this was going to be a _very_ big risk-the kind of risk that made Tsuki really yell at him and the rest of the spies have minor heart attacks. The kind that if it failed meant Hinata's death.

He was going to have to sneak in as himself.

Well, Hinata guessed not himself _exactly_ but there was no way he'd be able to make it in while wearing the all black Ace of Spades uniform. He'd have to go in as a palace servant. Hinata had done it before but it was a really terrible idea and always increased the chances he'd get caught and executed.

Hinata sighed. _We need to know who's behind it though._

With that priority in mind, Hinata slipped down from the palace gate and back down to the market just outside. He'd have to be really quick if he wanted to catch back up to the thieves.

Luckily a few stalls in, one of the merchants was selling the flowing drape like clothing preferred by the Hyakuzawan people. Hinata darted out from the shadows, stealing the first tunic and sandals he saw that looked like his size. He dropped some coins on the stand behind him.

Far enough back into the shadows, Hinata quickly and efficiently stripped out of the black uniform and into the the new clothes-a loose cream colored fabric with gold leave embroidery that was closer to a toga than the tunics Hinata was used to. All in all, the new shirt was...kinda _too_ loose actually. Hinata wondered if it was the Hyakuzawan style to feel like the toga could slip off your shoulders at any minute. It also felt a bit short. Did this go with leggings or something?

At least the sandals fit well enough.

Deciding he didn't really have time to worry about it, Hinata went about hiding his uniform under some bushes to grab latter. Careful in the all white drapey clothing, Hinata scaled back up the palace gate and landed lightly on the palace lawn.

If he was right, the servants entrance should be in the back where Hinata had spotted people earlier.

Hinata was right. The servants entrance was opened and mostly unguarded except for a very tired looking Knight. The spy waited by a tree until the Knight's head drooped a little too low before walking smoothly into the entrance-careful not to go fast enough to avoid suspicion but not slow enough that people would have time to make note of him.

Like most servant entrances, Hinata found himself close to the palace kitchens where servants were rushing about trying to clean everything up in the post dinner rush. Perfect time for sneaking in to the main part of the castle. Hinata grabbed an empty platter from the kitchen and made off down the hall as if going to collect more plates. Sometimes working so much with the servants back in Spades really paid off.

The last time that Hinata had seen the thieves they looked like they had gone into the west part of the castle which if Hinata remembered right from Tsuki's notes and model of the castle meant they were in the royal's private quarters. Yet, another mark for a high up noble being involved.

Being careful to avoid eye contact and to diminish his presence, Hinata quietly made his way to that section of the castle. Right after he entered the wing, Hinata heard two voices-one _familiar_ voice but not the one that he'd been expecting.

Hinata ducked down to hide in the shadows of an ornate vase display.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the imperious man from the meeting with Mr. Watanabe walked by followed by his assistant. Hinata's eyes widened as he noticed the small black box in the former's hands.

"I still _cannot_ believe that the crooked Spades merchant sold me a saddle bag with a hole in it," the imperious man huffed, face read and angry. "He's lucky that we don't have time to go back and make him _regret_ it."

His assistant hummed under his breath.

"Remember," warned the imperious man, who based on location Hinata now highly suspected was a noble. "If he asks, that Watanabe fellow lied about his wares and only had the _one_ mark, alright? And, we've already made sure Watanabe paid for his deception."

His assistant nodded.

"Good," the noble nodded. "At least, it was only the Jack's that fell out. If it was the King's….well, if it was the King's we'd be dead."

The two men continued down the hall and Hinata quickly weighed his options. On the one hand, the thieves with the Diamond's defense plan were definitely important. But...not more important than the King of Heart's mark. Especially, since Hinata had already replaced the plan.

With that decided, Hinata set down his platter and through the shadows, silently trailed his new targets. The men walked down the hall until they got to a much more deserted part of the castle. Finally, the two stopped in front of an ornate bronze door. The noble knocked.

"Enter," a voice called. "I've just finished with my previous meeting."

The door opened and two new men slipped out, allowing the noble and his assistant to enter and close the door behind them. Watching from behind a flower arrangement, Hinata looked as the two newcomers walked past him. The two were...not so new at all.

Hinata furrowed his brow. So the two thieves that stole the plans had the same boss as the imperious noble who had the King's mark. That was...well, definitely worthy of further investigation.

Hinata waited until the men left before walking out to the hall, staring at the ornate door.

 _Crap_ , Hinata bit his lip. How was he going to get in that meeting? He was pretty sure they weren't just going to let him walk in the front door and there was no way they wouldn't notice if he tried to open it.

Hinata took a breath, thinking through his options. Okay, so the door's a no. No windows on this side of the building either. Adjacent room? No based on the next door down, all of the rooms were too far apart to listen in from.

Hinata's eyes widened and the spy looked up. Oh my gosh, he was never going to take the Hyakuzawan love of drapes for granted again.

All through the Hyakuzaan palace, large sheets of gauzy fabric hung suspended horizontally in the air-billowing and covering the entire ceiling. Honestly, they kind of reminded Hinata of when the palace servants hung bed sheets out on lines to dry and some of their children would stretch a sheet between two lines and pretend it was a fort.

The important thing was for those sheets of fabric to hang right, the palace needed one thing-poles! Poles and openings large enough between the ceiling and the walls for the large sheets of fabric to drape uninterrupted. And, if Hinata was lucky, a big enough opening for a small spy to slip through and watch the meeting from between the fabric and the ceiling.

Hinata stood on the flower arrangements podium and examined the fabric. He took out a knife that he had fortunately grabbed from his uniform and made one long slash through the fabric, careful to let the drape of the cloth cover it. Opening made, the spy boosted himself up and jumped, catching a pole and heaving himself above the fabric.

 _Yes!_ Hinata thought, surveying his surroundings. There was maybe a solid two feet in between the actual ceiling and the long wall to wall poles that the fabric draped over. Hinata crouched down on the pole, balancing on both his hands and feet. He inched forward and-

 _Okay, wait, nevermind, I hate the Hyakuzawan drape obsession again_. See, the thing about having light almost sheer drapes hanging from metal poles is that it makes those poles _really_ hard to walk on without either slipping or disturbing the hanging fabric.

Hinata let out an inaudible groan. This was going to be worse than even the spires at Diamonds.

Gritting his teeth and reminding himself that he didn't have any other options, Hinata stepped lifted one hand, then one foot, and slowly moved forward-careful not to let the fabric crease under him. He breathed out when he didn't see the fabric giveaway his movements. Alright, he could do this.

Very carefully, the spy continued forward in the direction of the meeting room. As he had guessed, the fabric and poles ran between the two rooms, giving Hinata an entrance that was just big enough to squeeze through. He took a moment to be incredibly grateful that he was what _maybe_ could be considered just a bit smaller than average.

Hinata crept on carefully until he could hear voices from below.

"He didn't have the Jack's?" a stern voice demanded and Hinata recognized it as the one from behind the door-presumably the one who set up the meeting.

"He paid for his lies _very, very_ dearly," the noble replied nervously. "We assure you of that, Your-"

"So, we can't know for sure that this even his the real King of Heart's mark since we don't have the Jack's to compare it to," the leader concluded angrily.

"S-sir, I can promise you that both me and my manservant tried to replicate the King's mark and _both_ of us failed without it in front of us. The magic is definitely Cards!"

"Hmmm," the leader replied, considering. "Then, I guess you haven't completely failed me."

"Never," the noble replied immediately. "I would never do anything but by absolute best for you. You have my complete respect and my loyalty. Why I-"

"Enough," the leader answered. "You don't need to grovel further. You will already be rewarded when the plan comes to fruition."

"I-If I may be so bold even with one such as yourself," the noble asked. "Do you suggest that a kingship might be in _my_ future as well."

The other man laughed loudly. "Always, shooting above your station. Aren't you, Maruyama? You will be rewarded and that reward will be great. How great...will depend on your future success."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." the noble-Maruyama-answered.

"You and your manservant are free to leave now, Maruyama," the other suggested though it sounded more like a demand.

"Of course! Thank you again, Your-"

"GO!"

 _Crap...again._ Hinata still didn't know who the other man was and the rest seemed to be leaving the meeting. Ugh, he was going to have to do something stupid again.

Carefully- _very_ carefully-Hinata slid out the knife from earlier and, mindful of the fabric, cut a small hole just big enough to see through. Hinata didn't know that many Hyakuzawan nobles by sight but maybe this one..

Hinata leaned down and peered through the hole.

And immediately, on impulse, jerked back, barely righting himself at the last second.

"What was that?!" the stern voice of the leader-the stern _kingly_ voice-yelled.

Hinata held his breath and _did not move._

 _The King! The King of Hyakuzawa's the one who has the King of Heart's mark. He's the one who wanted Diamond's defense plans. This...this_ would _mean war._

...If Hinata got out of this to tell anyone.

"What was what?" Maruyama asked.

"Someone's here." the King answered. "Someone's listening to us."

"...where, Your Highness?"

"I'm not sure," the King said slowly.

Suddenly, Hinata heard a rustle of fabric and on pure reflex, leaned to the left. A gilded knife flew through the fabric and thunked into the wood an inch from Hinata's eye.

 _Okay, time to go._

"Someone's in the fabric," the King yelled. "Get the guards. We'll cut the rat down."

 _Time to go quickly._

Much faster than he had gone getting into the room, Hinata practically flew on the railing to the other side of the room. On his way, he tried to pull sharply on as much of the adjacent poles as he could, trying to hide where he was in the room.

Finally, he got to the other side of the wall and didn't even bother getting to his previous opening, just cutting a new hole and landing in a crouch in the thankfully empty hall.

Hinata sprinted away from the room. Turning as many different corners as he could until-

A window!

Not pausing long enough to reconsider, Hinata jumped out the open window, going into a backflip, and landed on the grass one story bellow.

Hinata looked sharply around the field-apparently a palace garden-to see if anyone was around to see.

Seeing no one, he breathed out a sigh of relief. _That was...that was close._

Intent on getting as far away from the palace as imaginable, Hinata stepped back to the stone walkway, turned the corner and-

Walked straight into someone's chest.

Hinata looked up...and kept looking up.

In front of him was a giant. And a giant that Hinata once again had no trouble recognizing.

At almost seven feet tall, Hyakuzawa Yudai-Crown Prince of the Hyakuzawa Empire-looked down at Hinata curiously.

"What are you doing here?" Prince Yudai asked softly. "This garden is restricted for nobles and their guests."

"Oh, I'm...I'm a guest," Hinata said quickly.

"Oh," the Prince said, looking around the garden. "Who are you with?"

"Um, I was here on business," Hinata said, searching frantically for a lie. "My client is a noble so he asked me to meet here but he decided to retire for the night so I said I'd be fine seeing myself out."

The Prince tilted his head. "The garden isn't by any of the exits though."

"I got lost," Hinata replied, forcing a sheepish look. "I'm new to the city and never been to the palace before so...I didn't quite know my way back out."

"Do you need any help," the Prince asked, seemingly sincerely.

Hinata thought of the King still searching the meeting room. Hinata thought of the King who would soon realize the spy was no longer there. Hinata thought of the King who would surely send out a palace wide search to protect his plan. Hinata thought of the Prince, a completely non-suspicious character who would have no trouble getting past the guards.

"I would love some help," Hinata smiled. "Thank you, Your Highness."

The Prince shrugged. "It's no problem. I know the palace can be confusing."

And so, Hinata-spy, assassin, and (by the looks of it) soon to be enemy of the Hyakuzawan Empire-followed their Crown Prince through the castle and straight out the palace gates. As they walked, Hinata took the time to properly examine the Prince and dredge up every scrap of old info Tsuki had on the man. The Prince was...well, tall was definitely the most prominent descriptor with short black hair and deep set eyes that looked faintly sad. After the tallness, the sadness was what struck Hinata the most. If Hinata remembered right, the Prince was next in line for the throne, though assumed to be fairly weak and easily led if rumors were to be believed. It was the general consensus of the populace that even if he became King, one of his many and ambitious uncles would end up as the real power behind the throne. Hinata wondered how the Prince himself felt about that.

The two reached the palace gate before Hinata had a chance to wander further.

"Thanks," Hinata said sincerely, looking way up to meet the Prince's eyes. "I really can't tell you how grateful I am for your help."

"Like I said, it's no problem," the Prince replied instantly, blushing slightly. "Would you like my help navigating the city. I often go on walks through it during the night so it really wouldn't be any hassle. But...if you don't need any help, I-I'll understand

Hinata hesitated. One one hand, it would _really_ be better if Hinata could ditch the Prince as soon as possible, grab his uniform, and head back to Spades to report to Tsuki. On the other less than reasonable hand, the Prince...the Prince looked sad. The Prince was walking around alone in the palace gardens in the middle of night. Also, the Prince was apparently either lonely or desperate enough to offer to walk a complete stranger through a city, just because he might be able to help. And Hinata...Hinata was really tired of seeing lonely expressions on the faces of Princes and Kings.

"That would be great. Thank you again, Your Highness," Hinata responded politely. "If you're sure it won't be a burden."

He thought he remembered an inn he saw while trailing the thieves. He could just lead the Prince to that.

The Prince shook his head. "No burden. What brings you to the city?"

"Oh, my business," Hinata said, trying to think of some profession that was suitably vague enough not to prompt further questions. "I'm in...hospitality."

The Prince nodded. "You must be quite good if you're requested by the Hyakuzawan nobles."

Hinata rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah, it, um, let's me meet a lot of interesting people."

"And travel, too," the Prince added in his soft voice. "That must be exciting."

Hinata brightened, thinking about his various spying missions. "Yeah, traveling is great! I love seeing all the new places but there's no place like my home?"

"Where are you from?" the Prince prompted.

 _Oh, right...This was why Tsuki says I shouldn't talk during missions._

"Clubs," Hinata answered, choosing a place that was not too off but not entirely correct.

"I've always found the Card Kingdom's really fascinating," The Prince smiled and once again, Hinata was struck by how sincere he sounded. Nothing at all like his father, the King, sounded in the meeting. The spy in Hinata wondered if there was a story there.

"The Card Kingdom's are great," Hinata said happily and honestly. "But, I always think it's the people that make up a country." He looked around to the busy street, apparently used to the sight of their Prince. "The Hyakuzawan's look like nice people."

"They are," The Prince responded, enthusiasm coloring his words. "That's why I love going out into the city. It's always so busy...even though the people are usually too nervous to talk to me."

Hinata nodded, thinking about Suga once discussing this . "People always seem skittish of their rulers at first. I think they forget to think about them like ordinary people. That's why you've got to be the one to make the first move. Once you show you're interested in them, they'll normally be happy to tell you about them."

Maybe even too interested. Hinata smiled, thinking about how many babies Tsuki always ended up holding whenever he went to market street.

"You're really good at this stuff," the Prince told him before looking at the city, slightly wistfully.

"Maybe you should be a leader instead," the Prince mused quietly under his breath with a small sad smile as if repeating an old and well spoken joke. Though, Hinata wasn't sure who was supposed to be laughing.  
Hinata frowned.

Something...something _bothered_ him about that sentence and he couldn't figure out what. Hinata _was_ a leader. I mean yeah, he didn't do the finances like Suga or put together all the pieces like Tsuki, but Hinata helped out at every city festival, looked over tax records, _talked_ to people. Hinata was a leader and he couldn't figure out what was bugging him about….oh.  
"You said it wrong," Hinata told the Prince with certainty. "You meant 'too' not 'instead'"  
The Prince frowned, confused. "What?"  
"'You said 'maybe you should be a leader _instead'_ " Hinata repeated, gesturing for the Prince to take the next street over. "But you should have said 'maybe I should be a leader, _too_ '"  
The Prince still looked confused.  
"See," Hinata explained happily. "If you say 'instead' it implies that I'm a leader and you're not. But when you say 'too' then it means we _both_ can be leaders."  
"I don't-I don't think that's how it works," the Prince said, giving Hinata a strange look. "Honestly, I don't know why I'm even talking to you about this. These aren't your burdens."  
"No, but it is how it works, though," Hinata said, ignoring the second part for what was actually important. "Like my friend reads all these books and is really, really good at knowing about everything. But, I still know a lot of things that he doesn't know about other stuff...So we're both smart, just in different ways. The same thing works with leaders. See! So, two people can both make good leaders. They can just go about in different ways and so when they work together, it's even better."  
 _That's what Spades does,_ Hinata thought fondly. Suga, Kageyama, Tsuki, and him were all different. But, when they worked together, they made the Spades Suit. None of them could rule alone so they _had_ to rule together.  
"I'm not sure that means me, though," the Prince admitted hesitantly, shooting a furtive look at Hinata like he thought the smaller man would start yelling. "I...I don't think I'm a very good leader."

The Prince sighed. "Maybe I should just abdicate and give the thrown to one of my uncles."  
"Oh," Hinata frowned again, thinking.  
Finally, the Ace of Spades shrugged. "Okay."

The Price paused, looking at him surprised. Hinata grabbed his hand and pulled him around the next corner.  
"You're…," the Prince frowned. "You're not going to tell me that's a bad idea and that I should try to rule anyway."  
Hinata shook his head firmly. "No way, if you think you'd be bad for the kingdom, then you definitely shouldn't try to be King."  
"...Oh," the Prince said softly. He nodded before looking down, not meeting Hinata's eye.  
"So, what's important to you about the kingdom anyway?" Hinata asked, curious-and maybe also, because the Prince looked small and sad and tired.  
The Prince looked up, scrunching up his brow. "What?"  
"Well, I mean if you think you're not going to do a good job as King then obviously there's something you think you'd fail at," Hinata said logically. "What about the kingdom are you trying to protect?"  
"The people," the Prince replied immediately before looking slightly shocked at himself. The Prince paused before nodding. "The people are the most important part of any kingdom."  
Hinata nodded back, agreeing fully. "And you think your uncles would do a better job protecting the people."  
"Yes!" the Prince cried before hesitating again. "I mean...no, they wouldn't." He frowned. "I don't think any of my uncles care much about anything outside of the palace. Definitely, not the people."  
It was Hinata's turn to look confused. "Then, why do you want to give the throne to them."  
"Well," the Prince started. "I mean it's just...that's what everyone says, right? Everyone thinks I'm going to make a terrible king and that any of my uncles would do better than me."  
Hinata tilted his head. "But you don't think they'd do better with the thing you said was the most important."  
"...No," the prince responded quietly. "They wouldn't"  
Hinata thought for a second. "Then...then I think maybe you should try harder to do it yourself. Try to become the very, very best King you can so that you can actually help the people."  
"But, but there's so many people who would be better than me," the Prince answered sadly.  
Hinata shrugged again. "So? I mean if they're really, really better and they're doing what you think is best, then yeah...let them be King. But until then, if _you're_ trying your best then it'll make them try _their_ best and so at the end, the kingdom as a whole will get a better King." Hinata looked up at the Prince earnestly. "It doesn't mean anything if you're only better at something when your opponent isn't trying their hardest."  
The Prince was looking at Hinata strangely. Hinata mentally waved it off. Kageyama gave him that look a lot.  
Instead, Hinata smiled. "Hey, just...maybe you should do what you think would make you a good King instead of listening to people who want you to fail anyway."  
The Prince didn't answer but Hinata though he looked a little less sad, so he guessed that was progress.

Finally, the two came to the street where Hinata had remembered the inn. Though, it did kind of look different now that it was night.

"This is my stop," Hinata said, pointing at the inn. "Thanks again."

"Thank _you_ ," the Prince answered, before looking up and frowning. "Wait, this is where you're staying?"

Hinata frowned, wondering if he had picked a bad inn to lie about. "Yep, this is where I'm staying for business."

"Business?" the Prince continued to frown before suddenly going beat red. "Oh, _business._ You're in _hospitality."_

"Well, yeah," Hinata said, confused. He thought back to his earlier lie and didn't see any problems with it. "That's why I said I was meeting my client at the palace."

If anything, the Prince grew an even brighter red, looking between Hinata and the inn.

Furrowing his brow, Hinata looked back to see what was so bad about the inn.

 _...Oh._

Well, in Hinata's defense, inns and brothels looked really similar when you were jumping off their roofs.

"Wait," Hinata said, turning back to the Prince. "It not what you-"

"No, no, it's fine," the Prince reassured, hastily. "I just didn't think...and you…" the Prince shook his head and offered Hinata a small smile.

"Thank you again for the talk," the Prince said softly. "I...I think I needed it."

Hinata still kind of wanted to explain that he _wasn't_ a prostitute but now, he figured that would just look even weirder.

He sighed and smiled back at the Prince. "Glad I could help."

The Prince nodded and, avoiding eye contact with the establishment, bid Hinata farewell and headed back in the direction of the palace.

Once he was out of eyesight, Hinata groaned and looked around for a dark alley he could get the roof from. Quirking an eyebrow, he glanced down at his slightly too loose and too short clothes before looking back at the brothel.

 _Yeah, this was_ definitely _not going in his mission report to Tsuki._

 _ooooooo_

"Poison?" Suga demanded. "You're sure?"

Tsukishima nodded seriously. "I had Asahi examine the turkey himself. Definitely, cyanide and enough to kill a horse."

The Queen swore harshly. "And the King?"

"Didn't eat it; didn't notice," Tsukishima responded. "I had Ennoshita walk him back to his room and Shimizu's guarding him now while Noya looks into the 'servant' though Yachi's already assured me that none of our actual kitchen servants brought the King supper."

"Lucky," Suga sighed. "We got lucky. Luck's not something I like depending on."

"Me either," Tsukishima commented. "It's a good thing the King's too lovesick to bother with dinner. Otherwise, he'd be dead."

"Lovesick," Suga asked, confused.

The Jack gave the Queen a wry look. "The King has apparently been much too preoccupied missing a certain Ace."

Suga smiled, a glimpse of sun on a dark day. "So, he finally realized? Hinata's been hopeless for years."

Tsukishima rolled his eyes.

"Hinata's been hopeless forever," The Jack corrected. "It just been a few years that the hopelessness centered around our King." He gave Suga a considering look. "Speaking of Hinata, don't tell him yet. Yachi and I have a bet on which of the idiots will realize it first."

"Oh, Hinata definitely," Suga answered. "He's much more observant."

Tsukishima shrugged. "I bet on Kageyama, actually. After all, what else does he have to think about?"

Suga gave him a mild reproachful look. "You're too hard on him."

Tsukishima returned it with a flat look. "He needs it."

Suga hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He looked back to Kageyama's untouched dinner plate and sobered. "Speaking of telling, have you told the King that someone's trying to kill him?"

Tsukishima sighed, sitting heavily in his office chair. "No...I'm not sure I should."

Suga quirked an eyebrow. "He deserves to know, I believe. Plus, it would be foolish to leave him unaware of the risk."

Tsukishima nodded but frowned. "I agree and I would have told him tonight but...you know how he is about putting people in danger-after his parents?"

Suga's eyebrow stayed raised. "Surely, you don't think he'd be worried enough to turn down extra guards when he was almost poisoned. That would be idiotic to the point of suicide."

"No, I don't think he'd turn down _guards_ ," Tsukishima answered, rubbing a hand of his face. "I think he'd turn down _servants_ because he wouldn't want them to get caught in the crossfire."

Now, it was Suga's turn to groan and fall back in the visitor chair. "And, our best bet to stop an assassin he thinks is a servant. And a helpless, clumsy servant at that."

"Who he's recently realized he has feelings for," Tsukishima nodded. "With those circumstances plus his past experiences, there's no way the King would let Hinata get within the same palace _wing_ as him let alone the same room."

Suga rubbed his head like he had a headache. "We could always just _tell_ him Hinata's the Ace."

"If he let us," Tsukishima grumbled. "It was _his_ choice not to know, remember."

Suga sighed softly. "He might not get a choice anymore."

Tsukishima frowned, thinking. "Either way, we should wait until Hinata comes back. It's his secret and he's the closest to Kageyama; he might have an idea."

"Any idea when he'll be back," Suga asked.

Tsukishima pulled a note off of his desk. "He sent one of your crows last night and with this: 'Following a lead but not the one we expected. Think it's taking me to Hyakuzawa. Can't say more in letter. Be back as quick as I can.'"

"Vague," Suga commented. "But that's to be expected. At least, he said he'd be back soon."

Tsukishima nodded absently, looking back at the letter. "Hopefully very soon. I have a feeling we were all worried about Hinata out in Cards, when we _should_ have been worried about what was happening right here."


	6. Chapter 6

_18 Years Prior_

 _Seven year old Tsukishima glared down at the bright orange presence that had decided to invade his home._

" _Tsukishima," Takeda told him gently, one hand comfortingly placed on the intruder's shoulder. "This is Hinata. He'll be staying with us from now on, okay? Why don't you show him to your room?"_

 _Tsukishima's room was_ his _room. Tsukishima had lived in it since his parents had given him to the castle when he was still a baby. There was no way he wanted some annoying boy he had never met before seeing it. Let alone staying for an indeterminable amount of time._

 _He looked up at his guardian. "No. I don't want him in my room."_

 _Takeda sighed and gave him a disappointed look. Tsukishima shuffled uncomfortably but didn't take it back._

" _Hinata," Takeda looked down at the boy and gave him a comforting smile. "Why don't you go back and talk with Suga for a bit while I speak to Tsukishima about something."_

 _The intruder nodded immediately, smiling brightly. "Yes, Mr. Jack, sir."_

 _With that, the boy rushed back over to the Queen, still standing by the entrance way. The boy pulled on the Queen's hand and started talking exuberantly about something that Tsukishima couldn't quite hear. Rather than looking irritated, the Queen gave the boy a smile in return and nodded along to whatever the boy was saying._

 _Annoying._

 _Turning away from the two, Tsukishima looked back up at Takeda. The Jack of Spades was frowning heavily at him._

" _I don't know him," Tsukishima told his guardian. "He looks irritating and I don't want him in my room."_

 _The Jack sighed again. "Tsukishima, that boy is the Ace of Spades. You're going to have to get to know him whether you want to or not."_

 _Tsukishima turned his head sharply back to the intruder._

" _He's the Ace of Spades!" Tsukishima whispered disgustedly. "But, he's so short!"_

 _Takeda gave him the disappointed look again. "Yes, he is but he is also your Ace." He looked at Tsukishima seriously. "And more important, he's a boy your age that just had his entire world fall down around him. This palace is his right as much as it is yours and mine. He needs a place to stay and that place_ will _be with us. So, I need you to show him to your room."_

 _Tsukishima swallowed, recognizing that it wasn't a request._

" _...Fine."_

 _Takeda smiled at him, eyes softening. "Good, now if anyone asks, tell them Hinata is my recently orphaned nephew, who I decided to take in." Tsukishima nodded sullenly and Takeda quirked a lip. "And, Tsukishima, don't worry. I have a feeling you two could be great friends someday."_

 _Tsukishima seriously doubted it._

" _Hinata, come over here and let Tsukishima show you to your new room," Takeda called._

" _Okay!" the boy said, running back over to the Jack and smiling at Tsukishima._

 _Tsukishima glared back._

" _Tsukishima's going to be your new roommate. Okay, Hinata," Takeda told the boy and Tsukishima fought the urge to groan. "But, I'll let you in on a secret. Tsukishima's also going to be the Jack of Spades one day and you two are going to help run the kingdom."_

" _Wow," the boy said, eyes shining. "The Jack!"_

 _Takeda gave the boy a fond smile. "Now, you two go on while I talk to Suga some more. I'll come see you in a few minutes."_

 _With that, the Jack of Spades walked off and left Tsukishima with the intruder._

" _Come on," Tsukishima huffed, pulling the boy towards the stairs and then up to his room._

 _Once there, the boy looked around excitedly. "This room is awesome. It's so much cleaner than my room at home used to be."_

 _Tsukishima scowled again but decided to focus on something other than his new roommate's possible messiness._

" _Are you really the Ace," the next Jack demanded._

 _The boy looked at him surprised._

" _Oh! Yeah," the boy nodded, pulling down the neck of his shirt until his shoulder could be seen. "Sorry, I'm not used to being able to tell anyone."_

" _Well, don't tell anyone else," Tsukishima snapped, looking at the spade symbol with the very distinguishable "A" inside it. Darn, it looked like Tsukishima really was stuck with him._

" _Are you really the next Jack," the boy asked, curiously._

" _Of course, I am," Tsukishima responded angrily, pulling down the back of his high collar to reveal the mark he wasn't old enough to Claim._

" _Cool," the boy said happily._

 _Tsukishima glared again. "How can you be Spade's best warrior if you're so short."_

 _The boy frowned slightly, thinking. "I'll grow, I guess."_

 _Tsukishima gave the boy a flat look._

 _The two seven year olds sat in silence for a moment, each slowly assessing the other._

" _You're...kind of mean," the boy said finally in a way that was more contemplative than insulting. "...and definitely really frowny….But, Suga told me that Takeda is going to take care of me from now on and since he's already taking care of you, I guess that'll kind of make us like brothers." The boy smiled suddenly. "I've never had a brother before but my friends did and I always thought that was pretty cool so...I guess I'll just get along with you anyway-even if you are really grumpy."  
Tsukishima watched as the boy stuck his hand out. "I'm Hinata. My mom called me Shou-chan sometimes though so you can use that if you want."_

 _Tsukishima looked at the hand for a long moment before finally-and somewhat reluctantly-sticking his hand out to meet it  
_ " _...I'm not calling you that," Tsukishima said, still frowning slightly. "Tsukishima Kei."  
_ " _Tsukis-Tsukishii-UGH, that's so looong," the boy-Hinata complained. "I'm just going to call you Tsuki, okay?"  
With that, Hinata smiled brightly like the world solutions had been answered in a word.  
Tsukishima was going to regret this. He knew it already.  
(and if maybe, he'd always wanted a brother, too….well, it's not like he was going to tell.)_

 _ooooooo_

Morning brought the Queen of Spades knocking on the King's door.

"Hinata?" a groggy voice called from inside and Suga hid a smile.

"Nope," Suga answered, opening the door and walking inside. The Queen spared a look to the usual piles of books cluttering the King's bedroom. The King himself was still in bed and Suga raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry for waking you," Suga commented. "I was sure you'd be awake by now. You missed breakfast."

Which was actually why Suga was here, worry that an assassin had snuck through both the guards and Shimizu getting the best of Suga's nerves.

Perfectly safe, Kageyama blinked blearily back at him.

"Sorry, I didn't get to sleep until a few hours ago," the King admitted, yawning but getting out of his bed and coming to sit at the desk.

"Trouble sleeping," Suga asked, carefully moving a pile of books aside to sit on the room's couch.

"Yeah, just some stuff on my mind," Kageyama said absently.

A moment of panic hit Suga and he wondered if Kageyama really had noticed the assassination attempt a couple of nights ago.

"What's on your mind," Suga asked. "Anything I can help with?"

Kageyama's head jolted up and blush rushed to his cheeks.

"Oh, ah, no. I mean it's nothing you can help with" Kageyama said quickly, awkwardly looking toward the small window and the palace gate in front of it. "It's, um, nothing. Just being stupid."

Suga just barely stopped himself from smiling. It seemed Tsukishima had been right about Kageyama's newfound realizations.

 _Every generation, every Suit, there's always two_ , Suga mused. At least, they were better than Takeda and Keishin. King Ukai swore he had developed ulcers just watching the Jack and his grandson circle each other.

"If you're sure," Suga answered and Kageyama looked relieved that the Queen chose not to pursue it. "What have you been reading lately?"

Though his other duties often got in the way, Suga often tried to stop by Kageyama's room and ask on the King's studies. In his opinion, it was always good for the King to talk to more people-especially with the assassins around. Mentally, he readjusted his weekly schedule to allow for more random check ins with the King. After all, Suga was no assassination or espionage expert like Tsukishima or Hinata, he was formidable enough by himself. If an assassin came, let them see why Suga had been the best mage in Spades for over a century.

With that, the Queen sat back and listened as Kageyama explained his latest book on evolving festival rituals-honest passion and interest making the King's eyes light up.

 _I wonder what would happen if the King ever let the people know just how much he cared,_ Suga mused. Hiding his melancholy, the Queen spared a glance to the window and immediately sat up straighter.

Still in his desk chair, Kageyama frowned. "What is it, Suga?"

"Hinata's back."

The King rushed over to look out the window beside Suga. In the distance and coming quickly down the road, a small orange blur on horseback could be seen advancing.

Suga looked over and just caught a wide, open, and delighted expression cross Kageyama's face before it was hidden.

Suga stood up. "I'm going to go check that all went well with his journey. Would you like to come?"

Suga watched as the King quickly sat up and was halfway to a nod before he hesitated.

That hesitation made Suga's heart clench.

The King shook his head, folding back into himself. "No, it's fine. You go ahead. I'll see him tomorrow or something. I'll just...let him finish his other things first. I'm sure they're important."

Suga held back a frown and decided to give Kageyama an out.

"Alright," the Queen responded pleasantly. "Though, do you mind if I send him up later this evening to check on your chores? The palace servants are rather short staffed at the moment preparing for the festival."

 _And Hinata might go crazy if he can't see you after you were almost poisoned._

Kageyama's lips firmed suddenly in the way that people do when they're trying to not smile.

"Yeah, okay," Kageyama grumbled. "Since we're shortstaffed and everything."

Suga nodded before heading for the door.

He had just made it out before he let out a sigh that was half annoyance and half fondness.

He took it back. They were _worse_ than Takeda and Keishin.

ooooooo

"You're back early," Tsukishima commented, watching the shorter man barge into his office and throw himself in the visitor's chair. "I wasn't expecting you for another two days."

Hinata smiled, waving his hand in a short dismissive gesture. "Too important. I ran straight to both Hearts and Clubs."

"I'm sure Bokuto was disappointed," Tsukishima added lightly.

Hinata nodded, looking ever so slightly put out. "He was. Ugh, I wish I could've stayed longer. Akaashi helped me out though."

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, sparing a moment of sympathy for the Queen of Clubs if he was responsible for breaking up an excited Bokuto and Hinata. Whenever the spy and the King of Clubs got together, Tsukishima thought it was lucky that the entire city survived intact.

"What did you find out," Tsukishima asked, focusing back on the important matters.

Like day to night, Hinata sobered-an oddly serious expression settling on his face that had Tsukishima automatically worried.

"It's bad, Tsuki," the Ace told him flatly. "It's _really_ bad."

"Start at the beginning," Tsukishima ordered.

Hinata nodded. "So, I went to Diamonds first to find the guys with the mark, right?"

"And you found them," Tsukishima concluded, remembering Hinata's note about following a lead.

Surprisingly, Hinata shook his head. "No, I didn't...well, okay, I mean, yeah, I did later. But, not in Diamonds."

"Then, how did you end up in Hyakuzawa?"

"I'm getting there," the spy reassured. "I didn't find anything the first few days so I went ahead and delivered the report to the Diamond's Suit so they could get the word out. Then, later, I was with Kenma in his room-"

Tsukishima's eyes narrowed. "You...as Hinata the _courier_ went to visit one of the Suit members in their _private chambers._ "

"Ummmm," Hinata said, taking on that tone that just made Tsukishima _know_ that the next words out of his mouth were going to be a lie. "Yeah, of course. Kenma's really close to...um, me as a courier."

After a moment of serious consideration, Tsukishima decided to let it go to focus on the rest of the story. But, he was _definitely_ coming back to that.

"So, you-a low level servant-were in one of the highest members of the nation's room and…" prompted Tsukishima.

"Right," Hinata said, scratching the back of his head and looking a little too relieved. "So, I was in Kenma's room and I..ah...decided to take the roof to get back...because that's what normal couriers do." Tsukishima rolled his eyes. "And that's when I saw that someone else was on the roof, too."

Tsukishima frowned. "The roofs that are almost impossible to climb without training."

"Exactly, so I decided to follow them, _of course_. And, then they ended up sneaking into Kuroo's private chambers."

"Do you know what they wanted," Tsukishima asked.

Hinata bit his lip. "Okay, this is the first part where it gets worse. They stole Diamond's defense plans."

"Shit," Tsukishima swore. "Does Diamonds know yet?"

Hinata shook his head. "No, I decided to follow the thieves instead of reporting back immediately."

"Which is how you ended up in Hyakuzawa," Tsukishima concluded.

"Yeah," Hinata agreed. "Oh, also, I snuck into the thieves wagon and replaced the defense plans with a fake so we shouldn't have to worry about that as much."

 _Okay, so not quite as bad as it could be,_ Tsukishima thought. But, this still meant that they had one party interested in replacing the King of Hearts while another group was apparently looking into Diamonds. All in all, not great.

"What did you find in Hyakuzawa," Tsukishima asked.

Hinata winced and Tsukishima immediately felt the hairs on his neck stand up.

Tsukishima glared suspiciously. "What. Did. You. Find?"

"Okay, so you've got to promise me you won't get mad," Hinata said slowly. Tsukishima's eye twitched. "Because...I really, _really_ had to do it and there wasn't any other way. And, in the end, it was a really good thing that I did it, so…"

"Hinata, just tell me," Tsukishima snapped.

"They led me to the Hyakuzawa palace," Hinata said quickly. "And I might've had-to-sneak-in-as-myself."

Tsukishima took a second to run the last part back through his head before-

"YOU WHAT?!" Tsukishima yelled, slamming his hands on the desk. "YOU IDIOT! ARE YOU INSANE?! DO YOU WANT TO BE KILLED?!"

Hinata cringed. "See, this is why I said _don't_ be mad. I didn't have time for a disguise and we _needed_ the information, Tsuki!"

Tsukishima took a heavy breath and refrained from just strangling Hinata himself.

"Okay," Tsukishima said, sitting back down and speaking with an obviously strained calmness. "Please, explain just what information was so important that you risked _immediate execution._ "

The spy looked at him seriously, all hints of levity set aside. "It's the King, Tsuki. The King of Hyakuzawa is behind it. Both the marks _and_ the defense plans"

There was a pause and...Tsukishima felt cold.

If the King...if the King of Hyakuzawa was behind this, if he acted on what Hinata and Tsukishima were expecting, then...then, the Card Kingdoms were going to war. A war that Tsukishima wouldn't be able to prevent.

The Jack of Spades frowned. Something...something didn't make sense. He was missing a piece. Tsukishima mentally broke it down, trying to see the picture. The King of Heart's mark, Diamond's defense plan, and….possibly, Kageyama's near assassination.

"Tsuki?" Hinata asked.

Shit, he still had to tell Hinata about the poison.

"Finish your story," Tsukishima instructed absently, still looking at the desk.

Hinata shot him a worried look but continued. "Anyway, so I found out it was the King and then the King heard me so I had to run," Tsukishima's hand clenched and he had to remind himself that Hinata was obviously fine. "Don't worry he didn't see me or anything...but, um, the Prince did. But, it's fine because the Prince _definitely_ doesn't think I'm a spy. I promise."

Tsukishima nodded, not even bothering to yell.

"Um, Tsuki," Hinata asked. "Are you-are you okay? I mean don't get me wrong I'm super terrified that it ended up being the King, too. But, I replaced the plans so as long as we stop him from forging a King of Hearts then...well, I mean it's still bad, but I think we can prevent a war."

"It's not just the defense plans and the mark," Tsukishima said, glancing back up at Hinata to give him his full attention.

Hinata tilted his head. "Huh?"

Tsukishima took a breath before jumping straight into it. "Four days ago, the King's supper was poisoned."

Hinata went _still_.

Not as in the frozen in shock kind of still but rather a complete absence of motion. Not a breath, not a twitch, just nothing.

Except for the eyes. There was _something_ shifting behind his eyes-like movement under still water. And when Hinata's eyes met Tsukishima's again, the Jack of Spades felt a completely reflexive chill up his spine.

Hinata looked _terrifying._ Every inch the best assassin in the country.

"The King's fine," Tsukishima finished quickly. "I noticed it first and the King wasn't even aware."

Hinata blinked and his posture shifted again. Tsukishima let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. Now, the Ace of Spades still looked dangerous but no longer in that terrible cold still kind of way.

"What happened," Hinata asked softly.

Tsukishima pulled out Asahi's notes. "Cyanide. Like I said, Kageyama never noticed. Someone posed as a servant to deliver his meal. Noya's still trying to track down leads."

"I'll go see him and help out," Hinata said in a way that wasn't a question.

Tsukishima nodded. "That and I rather figured you'd like to be on the King's protective detail."

Hinata rolled his eyes as if this was obvious. Possibly, because it kind of was.

"Which brings us to the next matter," Tsukishima continued. "Should the King know about the assassination attempt?"

Hinata frowned. "He doesn't already."

"I thought it might be better if he didn't given who's going to be protecting him," Tsukishima replied, letting the Ace put the pieces together.

Hinata groaned. "He'll try to protect me. You're right. Don't tell him."

Tsukishima quirked a brow. "That was quick. Not even if we tell him you're the Ace."

" _Definitely_ not, then," Hinata answered firmly. "Then he'd be worried about me both when I'm protecting him _and_ when I'm on missions."

Tsukishima supposed there was logic behind that. And maybe if he hadn't known Hinata for over a decade, he wouldn't have dug deeper. But…

"Why else," Tsukishima questioned suspiciously. "You agreed way too fast."

Hinata blushed, ducking his head down.

"...okay and I don't want him to hate me for lying to him," Hinata muttered.

Tsukishima examined the spy's suddenly defensive posture.

"I wouldn't exactly call it lying," the Jack remarked carefully. "And it was _his_ choice not to know."

Hinata responded with a flat look. "It was a stupid choice and you know it. We should've told him years ago."

That was...that was altogether an issue for another day, Tsukishima decided. There were more important things to think about it.

Letting Hinata sit to stew in his own feelings, Tsukishima went back to the more important matter at hand. The mark. The plans. The assassination. And what did they have to do with each other. What did they have in common? What was the overall goal?

Okay, the mark was obvious. Forge the mark become the King of Hearts. But, why would the King of Hyakuzawa care about that? It obviously wasn't for himself since it would be flat out impossible to rule two kingdoms and the King obviously wasn't an idiot. So, making an ally the King of Hearts? Why? Better relations between Hearts and Hyakuzawa? Possible though the method seemed extreme.

So, moving on to the next: the defense plans. How would those benefit either _becoming_ King of Hearts or helping the impostor king after he was seated? Hearts and Diamonds would always remain allies and would almost certainly support the ascension of a new King to the Suit-presuming, they didn't know it was an impostor. Tsukishima just couldn't see how those pieces fit together.

The last piece: Kageyama's attempted assassination-no, no, think about it from the Hyakuzawan's point of view-the King of Spades' attempted assassination. Technically, there was no proof the last piece was even involved with the Hyakuzawan King but Tsukishima didn't believe in coincidence. So, what would it help? More important, what would it do? If all the pieces came together perfectly what would it make? A new King of Hearts, a hole in Diamond's defense, and a dead King of Spades.

 _Oh._

"It's not just the King of Hearts," Tsukishima shouted suddenly.

Hinata looked up. "What?"

"They're not just trying for Hearts," Tsukishima explained, running the ideas through his mind. There was still something irritating him _._ Maybe after he said it out loud. "If the plan worked, this is what they'd have. One King of Hearts, one opening for the King of Spades, and one weakness in Diamonds that would be large enough to predict an opening for that Kingship as well."

Hinata's eyes widened. "You think they're going after the Kings!"

Tsukishima nodded. "The marks aren't what have the magic, it's the letters. If they have one King's mark, they could theoretically forge the rest. Opening more spots for Kings and they could easily replace them with allies."

The Jack of Spades frowned. _Something's still missing._

Across from him, Hinata mirrored his expression. "So, you think that's why they went after Kageyama? To replace him with another King of Spades?"

"It would make sense why he was the only one targeted when both Suga and I were also in the castle," Tsukishima commented, more to himself than the Ace.

Hinata leaned back in the chair, worrying his lip. "But, why though? I mean yeah, Hyakuzawa's got a lot of nobles who want to be kings but it's Cards...If they kill the current Kings, it won't stop new ones from being born. What'll happen when the next in line who has a _real_ mark comes forward to Claim their title."

Tsukishima shrugged. "Deal with the problem as it comes. It shouldn't be too hard. Most of those marked already go to the castle."

"Same as we did," Hinata said in realization. "They wouldn't even have to search for the mark, they'd come to them. It would be almost too easy to get rid of them."

Tsukishima nodded.

Suddenly though Hinata was shaking his head. "No, wait, that wouldn't work."

"What do you mean," Tsukishima inquired, curious if Hinata had finally found whatever was bugging him.

"Well, I mean it's not like the rest of the Suit would just let that happen, right," Hinata reasoned. "I mean with the Card Kingdoms, it's never _just_ the King. So...so, just having a new King wouldn't be _guaranteed_ to help Hyakuzawa because the rest of the Suit could just overrule the King."

Tsukishima hummed, propping his head on his hands. "It would still make it more likely."

Hinata was still frowning. "Also...I don't know, it's something that Kenm-m-my friend Ken was talking about. He said," Hinata's lips pressed together. "He said that it was likely the Hyakuzawans would view a Suits Kingship as a step _down_ from Hyakuzawa so...so why would any of the nobles agree when they thought they'd have a better chance there?"

A knock sounded before Tsukishima could answer-not that he as quite sure what that answer would have been. Both men looked up to the door

Yachi poked her head in. "Hope, I'm not interrupting. But, the Queen wanted to talk to Hinata when you were finished." She smile at the spy. "Welcome back, by the way."

"Thanks, Yachi!" Hinata said, trying to summon a smile for the blonde.

"I think we're through," Tsukishima commented, glancing at Hinata for confirmation. "Go see what Suga wants."

Hinata nodded, turning to Yachi and heading for the door. "So, Yachi, what did I miss?"

The assistant's smile took on a mischievous edge. "Well, guess what librarian is now calling Tsukishima 'Tsuki'"

"REALLY!" Hinata near shouted, letting Yachi pull him out of the door. "Tell me everything!"

Back in his office, Tsukishima finally let in to impulse and groaned, laying his head on his desk. As if the possible insurgence of the entire kingdom wasn't bad enough. Now, he had to worry about an annoying red head pestering him about his love life.

He was absolutely sure that the other Jacks never had to deal with this.

ooooooo

Oikawa looked at himself in the mirror. On his first full day in the castle, his old clothes had been thrown away but a kind but stern palace servant under the excuse of "these aren't clothes; they're barely rags and certainly not appropriate for the Ace's guest".

So, now, Oikawa had been re-clothed in a simple brown vest over a white shirt and black trousers-all of which, he was assured, was the most basic attire that could still be seen as decent. It was still nicer than anything anyone in Oikawa's entire village owned.

Oikawa frowned at his reflection. Three full days in the castle and the Ace had apparently decided that it was best spent giving Oikawa a tour of the entire place. Not that Oikawa didn't appreciate knowing his way around the palace, but still...it wasn't quite the hard sale he'd been expecting from the Head of Heart's Knights.

Today, though, today was different. Today, the Ace- _Iwaizumi_ as the man insisted-had told him he'd be meeting the Queen and Jack of Hearts. Oikawa was...well, not nervous, exactly. Anticipatory wasn't the right word either. Oikawa didn't know what he was. He didn't hate the Queen or Jack like he most assuredly did the Ace. The Queen was...Oikawa didn't know a lot about the Queen other than he had a supposedly well-deserved reputation as an aggressive and terrifying magician. As for the Jack...Actually, Oikawa had a lot of respect for the Jack's financial abilities and had admired a lot of the changes he'd made in the almost decade he'd had the title

Maybe, that was the difference. The Ace was the undisputed leader of the group and all he'd done since Claiming his title was try to keep things exactly the same as before the war. At least, the Queen and Jack _knew_ they were different.

"I am overjoyed that you have finally accepted your place in the palace, Young King," a voice sounded _a foot_ away from Oikawa's face.

"AGHHH!" Oikawa screamed, turning it into a yell at the last second. "QUIT DOING THAT!"

The Fate blinked. "I was only congratulating you on finally listening to reason. I'll admit I'd begun to fear for the worst...But, at last, your wisdom shines through from the darkness."

"No, it didn't!" Oikawa glared back. ""I mean..well, yeah, it has? Whatever, the point is no, I'm still not being King!"

Ushijima cast a glance around the room as if checking to make sure he was in fact in the palace. "I...I am confused."

Oikawa manfully resisted banging his head on a wall. "I'm in the palace because your stupid Ace blackmailed me into it. I am not staying here for over a month. And I am _definitely_ still not being King."

"...I see," the Fate said slowly. "You still have not accepted your destiny. I was mistaken about your newfound wisdom. I apologize."

Oikawa wondered if he could strangle the personification of an abstract concept. He might be willing to find out.

Actually, that reminded him of something.

"And hey, what the fuck," Oikawa demanded. "Did you really send frickin' armed bandits after me cause I stormed out of one meeting?"  
"Of course not!" Ushijima responded immediately, sounding almost offended.

Oikawa had a second of relief before the Fate continued, "That was Chaos' doing. Armed bandits are way too messy?"  
Oikawa idly wondered if the personification of Order meant messy in the what-a- clusterfuck-we-almost-killed-that-guy-we-were-trying-to-recruit kind of way or in the geeze- Oikawa's-being-stabbed-to-death-sure-made-a-mess kind of way. After a moments thought, Oikawa decided that, for the sake of his mental health, he really didn't want to know.

"Well, thanks, whichever one of you did it," Oikawa muttered sarcastically. "I almost _died_ and now, I'm stuck in this stupid palace."

Ushijima nodded, looking vaguely pleased.

Oikawa rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps, this will be a wonderful opportunity, Young King," Ushijima responded seriously. "You can finally see the place where you belong. See how the Nobel Ace has been leading the country."

"Hey, wait! Why does stupid Iwa-chan get 'Nobel' in front of his and all I get is 'Young'" Oikawa glared.

The Fate tilted his head, looking perplexed. "I thought that was obvious."

Fortunately, Oikawa was saved from further comment by a loud knock on the door.

"Oi, are you ready yet?" a voice called from outside.

Or not so fortunately, given the newcomer.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Oikawa called back, walking to let the Ace in.

A brief glance back showed him that Ushijima had already pulled his disappearing act so at least, Oikawa didn't have to deal with his two least favorite people.

Oikawa yanked the door open, coming face to face with the country's own personal hero.

Oikawa glared at him.

"Morning," greeted the Ace- _Iwaizumi,_ he reminded himself again. "Ready to go?"

"Do I have a choice," Oikawa asked, just to be contrary.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. "Relax, Yahaba and Mad Dog probably won't even have a chance to talk long. And I'm planning on showing you a place you may actually _like_ after."

Oikawa had honestly found that he liked rather a lot of the palace so far...not that he was planning to let _Iwaizumi_ know that.

"Where," Oikawa asked suspiciously.

"The library," Iwaizumi responded dryly. "Something tells me that someone like you would fit right in there."

Oikawa didn't know what the Ace was trying to imply but he wasn't wrong. Oikawa pushed down a thread of pure excitement. He'd never even _seen_ a library before, let alone be allowed in it!

"Lead the way then, Iwa- _chan_ ," Oikawa said, focusing on the suffix just to see the way the man's eye twitched.

Iwaizumi grumbled under his breath, but motioned for Oikawa to follow him. The Ace lead the way down from the visitor's section of the castle, past the gardens and training grounds, and all the way to the Suit's private chambers and offices. One of the few parts of the castle, Oikawa hadn't seen before.

The Ace sent Oikawa a flat look. "At least, try not to piss them off, won't you? They're both high strung enough."

Oikawa didn't really have any plans to piss off either the person in charge of his village finances or someone who could control fire.

"No promises," Oikawa smiled, watching as Iwaizumi huffed. Honestly, the Ace was almost too easy to annoy. Much easier than Ushijima.

The Ace opened a door to a seemingly random room on the left side of the hall, revealing an office with the two other leaders of Hearts.

"Iwaizumi," Yahaba, the Jack of Spades, greeted happily. Really, did everyone love the Ace except Oikawa?

Mad Dog just grunted in greeting so Oikawa supposed there was that.

"Hey," Iwaizumi returned casually. "This is Oikawa. He's the guy that I was talking about that-"

"The one that came up with the new tariff negotiations with Nohebi," Yahaba interrupted, looking between Oikawa and Iwaizumi for confirmation. "Those were amazing! I can't believe I didn't think of it before."

Oikawa fought back a blush because...well, Yahaba was a financial _genius._ Literally the best in Cards. Oikawa didn't think the man normally had to admit to not thinking of something first.

Mad Dog sent him a curious look before it settled into flat impassivity. "So, it's another finance mumbo jumbo. So what?"

The Jack rounded on the Queen with a glare that was honestly fiercer than Oikawa would've expected the man able to pull off.

"So, what?" Yahaba demanded angrily. "Finances are just what keep this kingdom running. Far more than whatever magic light show you're going to pull off."

Mad Dog growled.

"Okay," Iwaizumi interrupted, shoving in between the two. "Which one of you wants to catch me up on what I missed yesterday?"

Yahaba continued to glare at Mad Dog, but directed his words to the Ace. "You missed Hinata. He dropped off the report yesterday then pretty much immediately left for Clubs."

"Seriously," Iwaizumi said, furrowing his brow. "I didn't expect him for at least another two days."

Yahaba finally stopped the staring contest and Mad Dog looked...almost put out, actually. Oikawa filed it away for later.

"I already went through the report," the Jack told the Ace. "Nothing that we hadn't already heard."

Iwaizumi nodded, looking serious in a way Oikawa hadn't noticed before.

"Oh," Yahaba put in with a much more excited tone. "There's also this new budget assessment for the knight's weapon maintenance that I wanted to run by you. I think I finally worked on the kink on how to balance for increasing flow of incoming knights without overbalancing later on."

Iwaizumi nodded and the conversation got much more technical than Oikawa could easily understand...or frankly care about.

Listening to the conversation with half of a ear, Oikawa took the time to asses the Jack and Queen of Hearts.

The Jack...kind of reminded Oikawa of a puppy, actually. A genius puppy, of course, but Yahaba still had that wide eyed, eager to please look that Oikawa found slightly endearing. Currently, he was looking at the Ace with that same open admiration that was just a step shy of hero worship, though this time it was colored also with familiarity. He also looked...scared? Maybe, nervous was the better word.

Oikawa frowned. Granted Oikawa knew the Ace was an asshole, but...but the Ace didn't seem like the type to scare his own people. Oikawa titled his head, trying to put it together.

 _Oh._ Oikawa thought as he watched Yahaba explain his latest idea more fully. _Not scared of the Ace, scared about failing him._

The Jack of Hearts didn't want to disappoint his hero. Oikawa fought back a sigh. He guessed that was understandable if annoying. From everything he'd seen, the Jack had a much better grasp of finances and probably could turn the whole kingdom on edge if he'd let himself.

Oikawa turned his gaze to the Queen. The Mad Dog of Hearts lived up to his title-growling and scowling animalistically at every part of the conversation he didn't agree with. Oikawa was curious. Being a mage required an intense level of dedication and focus. He wondered how the sullen, snappish man reconciled the two.

As if sensing his stare, Mad Dog turned around and glared at Oikawa. Oikawa returned the glare with his own sunny smile.

"That sounds great, Yahaba," Iwaizumi commented, drawing back Oikawa's attention. "I'll come back in a bit after I drop Oikawa off at the library." Oikawa mentally scoffed at the phrase dropped off. Like he was some kind of package. "Then, we can talk more about Tsukishima's report."

Mad Dog gave a grunt of acknowledgement, very similar to the one he'd made in greeting.

"Really," Yahaba turned and snapped. "You could at least manage a proper farewell if a greeting is too much for you."

The Queen stared at him flatly before finally giving another grunt, this one with an obstinate edge.

Mad Dog and Yahaba glared at each other and Oikawa was slightly amazed that they hadn't killed each other yet if this was how they interacted. Then, he saw Yahaba's gaze drop briefly to Mad Dog's lips before flickering back up. Oikawa fought back a smile. Well, that explained a lot.

"Just...just don't kill each other," the Ace said warily before turning to Oikawa. "Come on, let's go."

"Grab some breakfast before you leave," Yahaba called, still glaring at Mad Dog.

 _Cute,_ Oikawa thought amused.

"Got it," called back the Ace, grabbing an apple from a fruit display before offering it to Oikawa.

Oikawa shook his head.

Iwaizumi shrugged before leading him out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

"Library's this way," Iwaizumi gestured, biting into the apple.

Oikawa followed, waiting until they were far enough away before speaking

"Soooo," Oikawa asked conversationally. "How long have the Queen and Jack been sleeping together?"

Iwaizumi sucked in the apple he'd been eating, bending over and coughing. Oikawa held back a laugh.

"What?" the Ace asked sharply, once he recovered

Oikawa just shrugged innocently. "Didn't you know?"

The Ace frowned, brow furrowing in thought. Oikawa smiled back guileless.

"I...I suspected," Iwaizumi finally settled on even though Oikawa suspected it was a bold faced lie. "I just didn't expect you to notice."

Oikawa smirked. "Iwa-chan, you can't get _that_ mad at someone unless you want to kill them or kiss them. Based on the fact that neither of them are dead, I assumed the later."

A beat passed where the two men just stared at each other before he Ace hummed, continuing their walk down the hall

Oikawa looked over to see Iwaizumi smiling.

"What is it?" Oikawa asked curiously

Iwaizumi shook his head, letting out a small chuckle. "Nothing, I was just think that this probably explained why Yahaba and Mad Dog always volunteered to finish all the late night reports...and why the reports never seemed to be finished the next morning."

And Oikawa...Oikawa almost laughed, before he remembered he hated the Ace.

"You're really good at reading people, aren't you," said Ace asked, looking over at him.

"Thanks, it comes from actually caring about people," Oikawa threw back.

Rather than getting annoyed like Oikawa expected-wanted-the Ace just shook his head again, sending Oikawa a look that was almost amused. "Ah, there, it is. Careful, for a full minute there, you weren't a complete dick."

"Oh, good, a personal record," Oikawa responded dryly.

This time the Ace actually did laugh. A short bark of laughter with a few stray chuckles following after.

Oikawa just stared.

"I do," Iwaizumi responded seriously after the laughter had finally subsided. "I do really care about people, you know."

Oikawa raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yes, I can see that. That's why you're gambling with their futures just so you can spend time with little old me."

Iwaizumi glared.

 _And, yes,_ Oikawa thought, _this was right._ The Ace was _supposed_ to be annoyed with Oikawa, not laughing at his jokes.

But then instead of yelling or throwing back his own cutting insults, the Ace just sighed...almost sadly.

"Fine, yeah, you're right. I'm a complete monster," Iwaizumi responded tiredly. "Terrible. Worst leader Hearts has ever had. I probably eat babies in my spare time."

The Ace finally stopped at two large double doors, yanking them open to reveal a room covered in more books than Oikawa had seen in his entire life.

But for once, the books weren't what Oikawa focused on.

Iwaizumi had continued to stare at him, still with that same resigned look.

"Just, go and read your books or whatever," he told Oikawa. "I've gotta go make sure this kingdom's still running. Even if you do think I'm doing a terrible job at it."

With that the Ace turned around and left, leaving Oikawa with just his thoughts and a vaguely guilty feeling for company.

 _Yeah,_ Oikawa thought frustrated-though he wasn't quite sure with whom. _Like I'm going to be able to focus on the books after that._

ooooooo

ere was a knock on the door and Kageyama's heart stuttered

"Oi, Kageyama," a very familiar voice called out. "It's me. I'm back! Let me in; I brought you something."

Hinata had barely finished before Kageyama was opening the door.

"Awesome! That was quick!" Hinata smiled and Kageyama stepped away from the door to let the shorter man inside.

Hinata walked into the room and turned, casting a glance at the familiar stacks of books before finally his gaze settled on Kageyama.

He smiled, holding up a book of his own. "I brought you a book back from Clubs."

"Thanks," Kageyama replied, distracted.

Hinata continued smiling and Kageyama got his first look at Hinata that he'd had in weeks….since he'd realized.

And Hinata looked….the important thing was that Hinata looked like he was alright. Safe.

The important thing was not, Kageyama reminded himself, that his hair looked like flames in the candle light. The important thing was not that Kageyama had never realized before how warm Hinata's eyes looked, a golden amber that seemed to hold their own light more than just reflecting it. The important thing was not that Hinata had obviously gotten more sun on his trip so that a few tiny freckles were scattered across his nose. The important thing was not that Hinata was beautiful and that Kageyama was having trouble breathing.

 _Crap_ , Kageyama thought suddenly. _I've been staring too long. This is weird, right?_

But Hinata was staring back so...so maybe, it wasn't weird. Or at least...if it was, at least they were both being weird.

"You're okay," Hinata said quietly, interrupting Kageyama's thoughts.

And that...that was Kageyama's line, wasn't it? Hinata was the one who just got back from the dangerous trip.

"Dummy," Kageyama muttered, aiming for gruff but it somehow came out softer than he meant. He didn't have time to panic before something firm hit his chest and arms wrapped around his waist.

Hinata was...Hinata was hugging him?

 _Shit! Shit!_ Kageyama's brain short circuited. _What do I do?_

 _Hug him back,_ a voice that sounded remarkably like Suga prompted him.

Kageyama's arms slowly, cautiously came around to settle around Hinata's shoulders and the smaller man jerked in surprise before settling back.

A moment passed quietly where neither spoke.

Then, Hinata drew back. Not far, maybe five or so inches, but enough to meet Kageyama's eyes.

And Kageyama looked back.

And...And...for a moment, with the way Hinata's head was leaned forward and so, so close. And with how Kageyama's head was tilted down and aching to lean closer. And..and Kageyama thought that they might...that Hinata might...and Kageyama _wanted._

And then, Hinata smiled and the moment shifted.

Shifted not broke, because Kageyama still felt like his heart was beating out of his chest. But the moment changed, settled, until he could feel it in his bones.

Hinata drew back into the hug, leaning on Kageyama's shoulder with arms wrapped tightly around his waist

"I missed you," the smaller man whispered.

 _And yeah,_ Kageyama thought, tilting his head so it just ever so lightly brushed the top of Hinata's hair. _I missed you, too._

And one day, he might even be able to say it.

ooooooo

A/N: As always, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!


	7. Chapter 7

_17 Years Prior_

 _Hinata had been living at the castle for six months when Takeda finally broke down and decided it was time to talk about his role._

 _Suga had already been gently hinting about it for two months. But when Keishin finally began asking why he hadn't seen hide or tail of the new Ace, Takeda reluctantly agreed it was time._

 _And admittedly, Hinata had bounced back remarkably from the destruction of his village and-even though there were times the boy became sad and quiet-for the most part, Hinata was a bright cheerful boy. And an energetic one, too-much to the reluctance of his roommate and resigned playmate Tsukishima._

 _Takeda just hoped Hinata was read.._

 _He also hoped that including Tsukishima in the discussion would help even though he hadn't planned on discussing this with his young successor for at least another couple of years. Jacks and Aces went about things different after all._

 _Footsteps outside of his office caught the Jack's attention and Takeda looked up just before Tsukishima opened the door._

 _Takeda watched as Tsukishima moved forward quickly as if he was going to shove forward in front of Hinata. The Ace immediately fell for it, rushing forward just as the other pulled back with a calm innocent expression. Expecting resistance, Hinata tripped forward before recovering to turn around and glare annoyed at Tsukishima. The other boy just gave him a small smirk, walking sedately into the room behind Hinata._

 _Takeda sighed. His two wards cared about each other. He knew it. Tsukishima was just very, very bad at showing it._

 _The two boys seemed to take notice of Takeda's serious expression and quickly moved to sit in the two chairs across from his desk._

 _Takeda smiled. "Thanks for coming.I know this is a bit different from our normal routine."_

 _Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably._

" _Is this about the vase from yesterday?" the small boy finally blurted out. "Cause if it is, Tsuki's the one who said it would be fine to throw the ball there-"_

" _You're the one who knocked it over," Tsukishima interjected quickly._

" _And Suga used his magic to fix it really, really quickly," Hinata added. "So, you can't even see the cracks anymore."_

" _This isn't about the vase," Takeda reassured, though he made a mental note to ask the Queen exactly what his wards got up to in yesterday's free afternoon. "I wanted to talk to you about your roles."_

 _Hinata tilted his head and even Tsukishima looked quizzical._

" _What do you mean," Hinata asked eventually. "I'm Ace and Tsuki's going to be Jack, right?"_

" _Exactly," Takeda confirmed. "But, do you know exactly what being Ace and Jack mean?"_

" _The Aces are the best warriors in each of the Card Kingdoms," Tsukishima recited before throwing a smirk in Hinata's direction. "And the Jacks are the smartest."_

 _Hinata stuck out a tongue._

" _Right again," Takeda answered. "Or, well, close enough, at least. It would be better to say that the Ace and Jack both have the_ ability _to be the best warrior or the smartest. It doesn't quite mean they will be."_

 _Tsukishima frowned."What do you mean?"_

" _Well," Takeda continued, pleased that the conversation was going where he planned. "Like everything, being the 'best' at something requires hard work. If you say Claimed the title of Jack when you were only three then there would still be a number of people who knew more than you in most likely every subject. Same for the Ace. They have the ability to be the best warrior but it doesn't mean they're destined to win every battle. They have to train to be the strongest. And even then can be defeated if the odds are simply too overwhelming or they get caught by surprise. Having a title doesn't mean that you necessarily will become the smartest or best warrior. It just means that out of everyone, you have the most potential of being the best suited."_

 _Tsukishima's frown took on a considering edge. Meanwhile, Hinata still looked slightly confused._

" _I think I get it," Hinata said slowly. "So that's why even though I'm the Ace, Tsuki still beats me all the time when we're fighting over who's going to get the extra blanket. It's cause I haven't worked hard enough or trained yet."_

 _Takeda all but beamed. "Yes! You're exactly right, Hinata! And that's why I wanted to talk to you,"_

" _The idiot's getting training," Tsukishima interrupted._

 _Hinata glared, reaching over to shove the other boy._

" _Tsukishima, don't call Hinata an idiot. Hinata, don't push Tsukishima," Takeda ordered, phrases worn down by familiar repetition. "And to answer your question: yes, but that's not entirely what this meetings about. I want to know what kind of Ace you want to be?"_

 _Both boys now looked confused._

" _Umm...Spades, right?" Hinata asked. "I want to be the Ace of Spades."_

 _Takeda shook his head. "Sorry, you're right. I phrased that badly. I meant what you wanted your focus to be in. Your specialty?"_

" _You mean like the extra power thing the Ace gets," Hinata questioned. "Cause I didn't know you got to chose that and I don't know what mine is yet."_

" _I meant," Takeda explained patiently. "That there are different_ types _of Aces. Some Aces train to be knights. Others to lead armies. Spades' Aces tend to specialize in being spies and assassins."_

" _Then...then that's what I've got to be right," Hinata frowned. "Because it's Spade's specialty."_

" _No," Takeda answered firmly. "Just because it's what Spades has been doing, doesn't mean it has to be yours. What kind of warrior do you want to be, Hinata?"_

 _The small boy tilted his head, thinking._

 _Takeda let him._

" _I guess...I don't know," Hinata finally answered. "When my mom first told me what an Ace was, I always thought I'd be...I guess it was kind of like a knight who fights bad guys and stuff. But," the boy looked up at Takeda with a serious expression. "I really just want to do whatever will help Spades the most. Is that being a spy?"_

 _Takeda paused, doing his own thinking. It was true that Spades had a tradition for spies and that having an Ace in the role had always helped tremendously. But, Keishin had been running the spy side of Spades since the death of the former Ace years ago, so the Spades spies definitely_ would _be able to continue even without an Ace….just maybe not as successfully._

" _Spies are definitely a benefit that Spades would not be willing to give up," Takeda answered finally. "However, this doesn't mean you have to be one."_

 _Hinata bit his lip. "But, if I was one then I could be the best, right? I mean if I worked hard enough, then I could really help Spades."_

 _Takeda nodded reluctantly. "Yes, but Hinata is that what you want to do. You'll help Spades with whatever you chose. Are you sure this how you want to do it? Being an assassin or a spy...well, it isn't always the most savory...or safe."_

 _Hinata took a second to answer._

" _Yes," the boy said eventually. "I think I could do it and…" Hinata shrugged. "I don't know I get the feeling that it's what I'm meant to do and Suga always tells me to try to listen to the magic. But," Hinata frowned again, "would...would being a spy mean I couldn't talk to people anymore? Because...because I would if I had to but, um, I'd really, really miss it, you know?"_

 _Takeda smiled. "No, Hinata, you could definitely still talk to people." A thought ran through the Jack's head. "Actually, talking to people might_ help _you be a better spy."_

" _Takeda," Tsukishima whined. "Don't encourage him to talk more!"_

 _Takeda silenced him with a warning look. "If you talk to people when you're just Hinata...if you make yourself appear as someone who absolutely would never be the Ace of Spades, then it could help you hide your identity. Like becoming your own decoy, an ultimate defense."_

" _The Ultimate Decoy," Hinata repeated, eyes shining._

" _What about me," Tsukishima interrupted, finally fed up with staying silent. "What's the different specialties for a Jack?"_

" _I actually wasn't planning on talking to you about this for a few years," admitted Takeda, looking to his successor. "That's because Jacks normally find their specialties on their own. What are you interested in learning, Tsukishima?"_

" _Everything," the boy said firmly. "Is there a way I can specialize in knowing everything?"_

 _Takeda hid a smile. "Yes, actually. Clubs' Jacks normally focus on learning about as many different subjects as possible. Literal Jacks of All Trades. If you'd like do that, I could certainly contact Club's current Jack. Though, I'll warn you that specializing in learning one subject would mean not going into depth in any."_

 _Tsukishima frowned immediately. "No. I don't just want to know about everything. I want to know the most about it, too."_

 _Takeda hummed. "Well, I'm not quite sure where that would fall. My specialty, as you know, is scientific research. Diamond's currently has our foremost historian."_

" _Those both sound boring," the boy sighed._

" _Tsuki!" Hinata glared. "He didn't mean it, Takeda. I'm sure you have a lot of fun even if it's super boring."_

 _Takeda refrained from rolling his eyes. "That's very kind of you, Hinata."_

" _What if…" Tsukishima started. "What if I want to do something like Hinata. Knowing everything about everyone's leaders and all about what's going on in Cards right now?"_

 _Takeda lifted an eyebrow. "Well, then...then, that would be something like a spymaster. Relying on informants and other types of information gathering to accumulate knowledge that might serve Spades in the future."_

 _Tsukishima nodded furiously, a light shining in his eyes that Takeda had never seen before. "That's what I want to do. I want to specialize in that."_

 _Takeda looked at the boy, considering. "Spades has...no, none of Cards has ever had a spymaster. It would mean a lot of work to build a network."_

" _I'll do it," Tsukishima reassured quickly._

 _Takeda gave him his most serious expression. "It would also mean working much more closely with the Ace of Spades than any Jack has previously. You two would essentially be partners. One specialized in gathering and acting on information while one specialized in sorting it and planning the next step. Are you sure you two would be able to work like that?"_

 _Hinata glanced between Takeda and Tsukishima. "I...I think I could do that. Tsuki's really smart so if I become really good at spying and we work together then...then we could be really awesome." Hinata scrunched up his face. "As long as Tsuki's not too bossy that is."_

 _Tsukishima sent the other a withering look before turning back to Takeda._

 _The boy shrugged. "Someone's got to make sure the idiot doesn't get himself killed."_

 _Takeda smiled, for once not admonishing Tsukishima for language. Keishin was certainly going to be happy. He'd requested about one boy and gotten two new recruits-albeit in very different types of training._

 _Takeda looked at his wards, the closest he'd ever have to sons._

They could be great _, the Jack of Spades realized. With the right training, with Hinata's determination, with Tsukishima's mind...they could help Spades become better than ever been before._

" _Ow, Tsuki!" Hinata yelled as the other shoved him to the ground when Hinata tried to hug him._

 _Takeda sighed._ If I can make sure they don't kill each other first.

ooooooo

Suga looked down at today's schedule and smiled.

...He then told himself that was a completely inappropriate and illogical response that he should stop. immediately

He hadn't quite managed yet when the Captain of the Knights knocked on his office door.

"Come in," Suga called, maybe a bit more cheerful than normal. He waved a hand, cancelling the magic that secured the room.

The sound of a door opening and rich chocolate eyes settled on Suga. The captain gave a soft smile-warm, familiar, utterly happy, and all in an understated sort of way.

He always gave Suga that smile.

Suga always smiled back. _And so the dance begins._

"I brought you something," Daichi told him and brought out a single red rose, hidden behind his back.

 _Oh,_ Suga let out a breath in surprise. That was...that was different. A small misstep in the dance's flow. A bit of an overstep, though maybe not an unwelcome one, that Suga now had to adjust for.

Because bringing a flower was...obvious, Suga supposed was the best word. Not easily ignored or passed over with a few well spoken words or subtle glances. It was shining a bright light on something they had an unspoken agreement to keep hidden.

"A week ago, you talked about how the gardeners hadn't planted them this year," Daichi reminded him. "And they didn't in the garden. But there's a few bushes just outside the training field. This one got cut too early when they were pruning it. I thought it would go better here than trampled under a misplaced foot."

Suga's smile was back because that was good, that was _fine_ , that was an excuse on why the Queen kept a flower from the Knight's Captain and an excuse that could easily hide for any other motivations the two might also be acting on.

"Thank you," Suga replied sincerely, both for the flower and the excuse. He took the flower carefully from Daichi's hand, finger just brushing for the space of a half a second. "I'll put it in a vase by my window."

Daichi nodded and moved to sit down in the office's visitor chair.

 _To business, then,_ Suga decided.

One of the Spades Suit-normally always Suga given The King's self imposed isolation, The Ace's anonymity, and the Jack's simply not wanting to do it-always had a weekly meeting with the Knight's Captain to check into Spade's defenses and hear a general assessment of the knights.

"So, how are the new recruits coming along now," Suga asked, casually propping his head on one hand. It was possible that the Queen's meetings with the captain were a little more informal than most. "Still not making as much trouble as Tanaka did?"

Daichi laughed. "No one could make as much trouble as Tanaka did. But," Daichi paused, considering. "They're doing fine I'd say. I've already split them into groups to shadow Ennoshita and Tanaka. If all goes well, I can start them in on patrols by next week." The captain gave a rueful look. "Of course, they're all disappointed they won't be able to compete in the Summer Festival. I swear, every summer Spades always gets an influx of new recruits as if they think that a few months training is enough to ready them for a tournament."

"Just trying for a shot at glory," Suga put in, shaking his head fondly.

Daichi rolled his eyes. "Then, they can try for it next summer after a full year of training to make sure Hearts and Clubs don't kick our asses in our own home."

Suga's eyes crinkled in amusement. "It's all we can ask for."

"And still more than we can expect from them currently," Daichi agreed. "Hopefully being part of Ennoshita and Tanaka's teams will show them what it really means to be a knight."

"And what's that," Suga asked, partly just to see the way Daichi's eyes lit up.

"Hard work, dedication, and loyalty above all else," Daichi recited. "Always putting the kingdom above any selfish interests."

"Well, they certainly have an excellent role model for a captain then," Suga complimented.

Daichi looked down bashfully. "Oh, I don't know about that. Sometimes, I can be quite selfish."

"Never you, Daichi," Suga returned, unconsciously moving to a softly serious tone. "Never you."

Daichi met his eyes a moment before sighing. "I suppose you're right, My Queen."

Suga would never admit it but he loved how Daichi said "my". Somehow, making it an expression of devotion without any hint of possession.

"I should get back to training," Daichi told him. "If, of course, you're done with me here."

"I think I've kept you from your charges long enough," Suga answered, standing up and waving a hand to cancel the magic that automatically set every time the door closed. The captain nodded, heading to the door

As he did, the Queen lifted the rose off of his desk and walked to the empty vase by the window.

"It's kind of sad, isn't it?" Suga mused out loud. "That it fell down early and now will spend the rest of its life inside and separated."

"I don't know," Daichi replied steadily, looking up to match Suga's gaze for a final time. "I think it's rather lucky. After all, it was going to die anyway. At least this way...it gets to spend its life with you."

With that, the captain of the knights gave a small smile and slipped out of Suga's office, the door closing gently behind him

Suga stayed standing, looking at the door and trying desperately to get rid of his blush before the next meeting.

ooooooo

For once, Oikawa found himself actually enjoying his morning in Hearts' castle.

Granted, this probably had more to do with the company.

The Ace had set up a meeting between Oikawa and the Jack of Hearts ostensibly so Oikawa could oversee his idea about the Nohebi tariffs. In actuality, Oikawa knew this was Iwaizumi's attempt to get his would be king to bond with the rest of the Suit.

In a sense, it was working. Oikawa still had absolutely zero interest in being King of Hearts but he was enjoying Yahaba more and more with every passing second. Oikawa wasn't quite sure how he was intended to "help" with the new tariff plan; Yahaba was a genius and had it done practically within five minutes of look at it. Though, the brief overview had led to an interesting conversation from Oikawa's perspective.

"Wait," Oikawa had commented, looking at the dates. "If we aren't scheduled to talk to Nohebi about the tariffs for another month then why is the expected implementation date so early? That won't even be enough time to get them approved."

Yahaba had frowned. "What makes you think we're not talking to Nohebi until next month?"

Because Oikawa had figured the Ace wanted to make sure Oikawa would actually stay the full month before he gave the tax decrease to his village.

"Iwaizumi already had me send a preliminary letter the day you suggested it in the audience," Yahaba had continued, unaware of Oikawa's internal conflict. "It would look foolish if we then didn't respond until next month. Not to mention, that we'd be gone for the Summer Festival. Is there a reason we should wait?"

"No reason," Oikawa had responded, sending an absent smile.

So Iwaizumi had lied about withholding the tax decrease. He'd lied to get Oikawa to agree to come to the castle. Oikawa...Oikawa didn't know how he felt about that.

His first instinct had been anger. How dare the Ace hold Oikawa's village over his head...even if it was a lie.

But his next instinct was...admiration? Somehow, Oikawa actually liked that the Noble Ace maybe wasn't as noble as he seemed. That Iwaizumi was ready to get down and dirty if it meant helping his overall goals. It was something Oikawa would've done and he could respect that kind of attitude. Especially, if the overall goal was helping Hearts' people.

Oikawa didn't agree that him becoming king _would_ help Hearts and he still thought the Ace was kind of a shitty leader but maybe….maybe he liked Iwaizumi the man a little bit better.

Currently, Yahaba was showing Oikawa the budget reports for over twenty years ago to serve as a comparison for last year's. This had nothing really to do with the new tariffs and it was clear Yahaba was just showing him this because he was thrilled to have someone else to talk about finances with. This luckily suited Oikawa's inner nerd just fine as-even though he was nowhere close to Yahaba's level of knowledge-he had always enjoyed helping Irihata manage the village's expenses.

However, this _also_ led him to an interesting question.

"Why is so much money directed to the castle guards?" Oikawa asked, looking at last year's numbers in comparison to twenty years ago.  
Yahaba frowned, glancing to where Oikawa pointed.  
"Oh," the Jack said. "Oh...well, that's Iwaizumi area, so…"  
 _And the Jack of Hearts would never dream of interfering with his hero's work,_ Oikawa concluded.  
"I guess I never really looked at it," Yahaba finished probably truthfully.  
Oikawa hummed, wondering how he could go about this without letting his feelings for the Ace's leadership show. Maybe he could just avoid mentioning him all together.  
"The numbers are much higher than the castle needs," Oikawa commented, showing the old report as evidence. "With all the Knights centered here, that's finding money for food, extra training equipment, servants…"  
"True. But that's the same amount we've always set aside for castle knights in all of the recent years, from even back before the war," Yahaba pointed out before wincing, struck with the realization Oikawa had already come to.  
Before the war was when the former Queen and Ace of Hearts had been funneling all available resources to the castle guard, preparing for the inevitable fight for the throne. The number of knights kept in castle was the numbers needed for a full scale rebellion. In a time of peace, it was more than a bit unreasonable.  
Yahaba had sat back, contemplatively.  
"We can't decrease our number of knights, not when there's still the risk from-" The Jack stopped suddenly, casting a frightened glance at Oikawa. Oikawa tilted his head, curiously. Was Hearts expected some kind of threat? An invasion or-  
"Maybe, maybe when we see where some pieces land, then we can look at reallocation," Yahaba finished.  
Oikawa meanwhile was running possibilities through his head. It was doubtful that the threat was coming from Nohebi-there was no way Hearts would have tried to readjust tariffs if they were worried about a war. Hearts' relationship with the rest of the Suits seemed fine and neither Yahaba nor Iwaizumi had shone any specific apprehension about the upcoming Summer Festival. Oikawa would have definitely heard if there were tensions enough within Hearts to cause concern. That left Hyakuzawa or the Futakuchi Islands. And with Futakuchi being extreme isolationists, that tilted the odds towards Hyakuzawa.  
Oikawa looked up again. External threat would mean _all_ of Hearts-especially border villages-was at risk not just the capital, making the concentration of castle guards not just fiscally questionable but a possible security risk.  
Keeping that in mind, Oikawa smiled guilelessly. "You wouldn't need to decrease the total number of knights for the country, you know? Just the one's in the castle."  
Yahaba looked at him cautiously, looking slightly relieved that Oikawa had decided not to press about the mysterious threat. "What do you mean?"  
"Well," Oikawa replied, propping his head on a hand. "If you sent out the knights to be stationed in towns around Hearts then we'd still have the same number of knights, but it would mean the castle wouldn't have to keep up the cost of boarding. The villages wouldn't mind one or two extra mouths to feed, especially if the knights could help out with farming and protect against bandits and raiders."  
 _And have a better defense in the case of an invasion_ , Oikawa thought but didn't add. He was sure Yahaba could put that together himself.  
Yahaba's eyes widened. "That...that could...well, I'd have to talk to Iwaizumi, though."  
There was that nervousness back again. Oikawa wondered what kind of brilliant ideas Yahaba would come up with if he wasn't so worried that the Ace would disapprove of them.  
Instead of saying any of this, Oikawa shrugged.  
"You're the Jack," Oikawa agreed, putting subtle emphasis on his title. "I'm sure if there's a way to do it, you can find it."  
Yahaba gave him a small smile that looked maybe a hair more confident. "Thanks, Oikawa."

Oikawa smiled back. "Anytime."

"I think...I think I'll go talk to Iwaizumi about that now. See what he says," Yahaba commented. "Would you like to come with me?"

Oikawa thought that his presence in the matter definitely wouldn't help any so just relied with, "Thanks, but I think I'm going to go to explore the library a bit more."

 _Besides,_ Oikawa mentally added, thinking back to his previous realization. _I think I'll be having my own conversation with the Ace soon enough._

ooooooo

Tsukishima was going _insane._

The Jack was currently sitting in a quiet secluded place in the library where he'd been for three hours. Before that, he'd been in his office for five hours. And _before that_ , he had been trying to go to sleep in his bedroom for nine hours.

All of these attempts had been unsuccessful.

Honestly, at this point, he was considering going to find Hinata just because bickering with him was always at least distracting. But, then he remembered that Hinata was still guarding the King and there wasn't a force on earth that could stop him from that at least until Yachi dragged him away for a break.

Tsukishima groaned. Speaking about Hinata, what the Ace had said was still bothering him. He had the pieces, he'd put them together, the almost fit! But it was the _almost_ that kept catching Tsukishima up. Everything was _almost_ right. Which meant Tsukishima was still missing something. And the Jack had a feeling it was something big.

"Um, are you okay," a shy voice asked.

Tsukishima's head flew up, a piece of paper still stuck to his face from where he had laid it on the table.

Yamaguchi was giving him a worried expression.

"I'm fine," the Jack reassured.

"Of course," Yamaguchi agreed immediately before hesitating. "It's just that...well, you've been groaning and glaring at your papers for the past three hours so…."

Tsukishima sighed, pushing the irritation out of his voice before speaking. It's not like it was directed at the kind librarian anyway.

"I'm just struggling with something for work," Tsukishima admitted. "I keep feeling like I'm missing something."

"Oh, I hate that feeling," Yamaguchi said, scrunching up his nose in an expression that Tsukishima could only call "cute". "I get that feeling all the time!"

"Really," Tsukishima asked, somewhat surprised. From all of his experience with him, the librarian seemed highly intelligent and competent. He doubted that Yamaguchi ever missed much.

"Yes!" Yamaguchi answered vehemently. "I mean it's always little things that turn out not to be that important. But, I swear they bother me _forever_ and I hate it!"

"How do you handle it," Tsukishima asked, gesturing for Yamaguchi to sit. At least, this conversation was proving to be more enjoyable than his previous distraction of banging his head on the table.

The man did sit, though he still looked somewhat nervous.

"Well," Yamaguchi started slowly, obviously thinking through his answer. "I guess...I guess I just try to see it from as many views as possible. Not just mine."

"What do you mean?"

Yamaguchi blushed. "Um, normally, I mean...I'm normally trying to figure out why someone said a certain thing or acted a certain way so...I'll try to look at their reasoning. You know, try to figure out what their priorities are." The blush deepened. "I'm pretty bad at it though."

Tsukishima doubted that, too.

"...if you say so," Tsukishima eventually said, voice portraying his doubt.

"No, I am," Yamaguchi assured. "Really, really bad at it. It's because my priorities are usually so different."

Definitely an interesting conversation.

"What are your priorities, then," Tsukishima asked.

"Oh, ah," Yamaguchi let out a nervous laugh. "I guess it's silly. I guess...it's just that I don't really care about what other people are doing….Oh, wait, no, that sounds wrong. I mean I care about the people, obviously. I just…" Yamaguchi frowned, struggling through his words. "I just don't really see a point in comparing myself to them. As long as I'm being the best I can be, I don't really care on if that's better than others." the librarian gave a soft smile. "Especially...especially if me being me can help someone else, you know?"

Tsukishima's heart thumped rather loudly and the Jack hoped the other man wouldn't be able to hear it.

Yamaguchi gave an expression more self abasement than nervousness. "But….but most people aren't like that, so I'm always really bad at predicting them. Most people care more about being the best, too."

"I never let anyone know what my priorities are," the Jack of Spades remarked dryly. "It's safer that way."

Tsukishima didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't for the librarian to let out a loud amused laugh.

Tsukishima gave Yamaguchi a confused expression.

"Sorry, sorry," the librarian said, still letting out a few giggles. "That was a joke, right?"

Tsukishima hadn't meant it to be but...

"...Yes."

Yamaguchi seemed to hear the lie. Now, it was the librarian who looked confused. "Well, it's just because you're the Jack of Spades...so I mean your priorities are obvious, right?"

Tsukishima was unclear on how being the country's foremost spymaster made him obvious.

"Obviously your priority is to protect Spades," Yamaguchi continued. "I mean anyone who didn't know that...well, not understanding that would just be silly."

In his line of work, Tsukishima was fairly sure that there was a number of informants who _did not_ know that. In fact, the Jack used it to his advantage-keeping a bored expression so the informant would panic that their information wasn't good enough and add more without him even having to ask. Hiding his priorities was a basic job requirement.

But, the way Yamaguchi spelled it out...he supposed not being able to assume was...well, silly.

It was always amazing to Tsukishima how many insightful comments Yamaguchi brushed off as obvious assumptions.

"You're right," Tsukishima told him. "And...thank you. I think you just helped me with my problem."

And he had helped. Tsukishima could feel it. He just wasn't sure how yet.

Yamaguchi beamed. "Glad I could help, Tsuki."

ooooooo

Iwaizumi wasn't all that surprised to see Oikawa waiting for him outside of the training yard.

Maybe, he should have been considering he'd been trying to give the man a wide berth after their previous disastrous conversation in front of the library. But, after Yahaba's talk with him earlier about possibly relocating some of the knights to border towns-a conversation Iwaizumi was pleased that the Jack had discussed with much more confidence than he was used to-Iwaizumi had almost been expecting his reluctant King. Iwaizumi still insisted on calling him King, even if it was only in his thoughts.

"Come to make sure I haven't cut anyone's head off or thrown the kingdom into war," Iwaizumi asked sarcastically.

Oikawa tilted his head as if thinking about it.

"No," the man responded slowly. "It's only been a day since I last saw you and from everything I've seen, you can't work that quickly."

It was strange...Oikawa may have been an actual amusing conversation partner if the man wasn't such an asshole.

"Then, what do you want," the Ace asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you hated every second of my presence."

"Oh, I do. I definitely do, Iwa-chan" Oikawa reassured him pleasantly. "But, even I could use some exercise every now and then."

"Meaning," Iwaizumi prompted warily.

"Care for a spar," Oikawa smiled, all faux innocence.

Iwaizumi shrugged. Oikawa was obviously planning something but even tired from training the new knights, the Ace still thought he was match enough to handle one simple villager. No matter how much that villager may hate him.

"Excellent," Oikawa responded and for once, it sounded like he meant it. The man stepped from the carefully manicured lawn and onto the worn down dirt of the training circle.

"Want me to grab you a practice blade," Iwaizumi asked, motioning to where the dull blades were hung up to the side.

"No, thank you," Oikawa answered politely and if that wasn't enough for Iwaizumi to be suspicious, then his next sentence definitely was. "I'll just use my knife. I never quite go used to swords. Is that alright?"

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes, but nodded. He didn't _think_ Oikawa was trying to kill him. Though granted, that was less because he thought Oikawa didn't want to and more because he just thought the man was smarter than that.

Either way, Oikawa definitely wouldn't try to kill him in a spar. Too straightforward.

Still, though…

"It's fine if I can still use my sword," Iwaizumi replied, gesturing to his actual sword rather than the practice blades.

Oikawa smiled. "Fine by me."

At Iwaizumi's answering nod, the two men readied themselves at either side of the circle.

"Ready," Iwaizumi asked.

Oikawa nodded, pulling his knife from where it was hidden in a sleeve and brandishing it with his left hand. Iwaizumi readjusted to prepare for an attack on the left side.

"Hey, Iwa-chan," Oikawa called and Iwaizumi realized that trying to distract him would be Oikawa's opening move. Fine then, Iwaizumi wasn't that easily distracted.

He was wrong.

"When were you planning on telling me that you'd already discussed the new tariffs with Nohebi?"

Iwaizumi tensed and in that same second, Oikawa struck.

Through years of practice, Iwaizumi easily deflected the knife coming at his unprotected ribs-though still at an angle that would be non-lethal.

He wasn't quick enough to stop the punch on the right, though.

Iwaizumi fell back, unbalanced.

Once he had realized what happened (which didn't take long) and that he really had heard Oikawa correctly (which took a second longer), he looked back up at the man. His cheek he could already feel healing from his extra healing ability-courtesy of being an Ace.

Oikawa was tilting his head, looking at him from above.

"Huh, you really do heal quickly," Oikawa commented absently, though not sounding that put out. "I had wondered if that was just a myth?"

He held out a hand to help Iwaizumi up.

Iwaizumi ignored it, focusing on the more important matter. "How did you find out?"

Oikawa snorted. "Did you really expect me to talk about it with Yahaba all morning and for it not to come up?"

Put like that, Iwaizumi supposed that was a bit short sighted. To be fair, he had other priorities when setting up that meeting. Mainly, avoiding Oikawa altogether.

"Are you still staying," Iwaizumi asked, looking at Oikawa's eyes to try to get a hint at the man's decision.

Oikawa's expressions stayed as frustratingly indecipherable as always.

"Of course, Iwa-chan," Oikawa responded lightly. "Unlike you, I actually _keep_ my word and don't lie about things that are important."

Iwaizumi breathed out in relief.

"Now," Oikawa said, holding out his hand again. "Are you planning on sitting in the dirt all day?"

Iwaizumi glared but took the hand. As he got up, he noticed Oikawa's knife-which he now recognized as the other distraction it was-in his left hand.

"You're not even left handed, are you?" Iwaizumi accused.

Oikawa smiled. "Technically I've trained enough to be sufficient in both. But, no, I'm more right handed."

"If you already knew I was lying about the tariffs why did you punch me?"

"Well, there's never a bad reason to punch you."

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.

"Because, Iwa-chan," Oikawa said mock seriously. "Lying about my village was a really dickish thing to do. Much too dickish for our country's hero. You're not got at it. Gotta leave the really dickish stuff to me."

"You are a much bigger dick," Iwaizumi agreed.

And Oikawa smiled-a real one, Iwaizumi realized-with just the slightest mischievous edge. "Well, Iwa-chan…"

Iwaizumi quickly ran his words through his head and glared. "Shut up! You know what I meant!"

Oikawa laughed and Iwaizumi vaguely noted that his was the first time he'd ever heard it.

It was nice...you know, for an asshole.

"Want to go another round," Iwaizumi asked, gesturing to the sparring ring.

Oikawa sent him a dry look. "I'm not actually stupid enough to go against Hearts' best warrior without a plan up my sleeve."

"Is that your way of saying I'd kick your ass," Iwaizumi asked with a smile of his own.

Oikawa's smile quickly turned into a smirk, still keeping the mischievous edge.

"Bring it."

ooooooo

Hours later and a kingdom away, Hinata was in the middle of his own spar. Though, granted, his was less of a spar and more of a long winded practice that just happened to involve fighting.

Fights for assassins generally weren't known for their longevity.

Which is good because, given how distracted he'd been so far, Hinata was pretty sure Shimizu would have slaughtered him by now if this was a real fight. She was already doing a pretty close job already.

As soon as he thought it, he ducked under another high kick that would have at the very least knocked him unconscious if had connected-if not, given him a concussion.

"Wow, Shouyou, it's like you're not even trying," Noya yelled from the side as part of his ever running commentary.

And to be fair….Hinata wasn't.

Hinata was far too distracted to give it his best.

The only reason he was in the East Tower rather than back in Kageyama's room to guard him was that Yachi absolutely _ordered_ him to take a break.

And so now all he could think about was Kageyama defenseless in his room...with an assassin having snuck through….and Asahi probably already dead from where he was guarding him...and the assassin getting closer...and…

Hinata had to slip to the side as Shimizu aimed a lightning fast punch to his ribs.

"Close one," Noya called.

Hinata fought back a sigh. But, Yachi had a point. And he had been there for almost twenty four straight hours (mostly as a servant but for a few hours guarding from the shadows the Ace). And he really _should_ take a break because, as Suga had commented, it would be "strange" if a regular courier was spending literally every free second with the King. And, as Tsuki had added, "I know you're stupidly in love with him, but stalking's still creepy".

Hinata frowned. Yeah, this break was probably a good idea...Especially, after he almost slipped up and kissed Kageyama yesterday.

It was just he'd been so relieved to see that Kageyama was okay and normal. And when he hugged, him he had been so warm and Hinata could hear his heartbeat. And then, for a second, it had looked like Kageyama would've been alright if he kissed him. Like maybe he would have enjoyed it, too.

Anyway, Hinata had reined himself in at the last second so it was fine.

Shimizu's next kick caught him square in his sternum and not even his last second attempt to adjust for the impact could stop him from hitting the floor hard.

"Ow," Hinata groaned from the floor.

"Are you okay," Shimizu asked, leaning down and looking at him curiously. "I expected you to deflect that."

"I'm fine," Hinata reassured, rubbing at his chest where he was sure a bruise was blooming. "Just...just probably too distracted to keep sparring. Sorry, Shimizu!"

The quiet spy nodded.

"C'mon, Kiyoko," Noya called, stepping down from where he'd been sitting on a hay stack and into the open training space. "If our heroic Ace won't fight you. I'll step up for you."

Shimizu nodded again, smiling slightly.

Hinata got up and moved to where Noya had been sitting, watching closely.

"Ready, beautiful," Noya asked, grinning.

Shimizu got into a fighting stance, still smiling.

The spar began.

Watching them move-much faster than Hinata and Shimizu's spar had been and almost graceful enough to be a dance-Hinata wondered not for the first time what the relationship was between Spades' resident spies. All of them were pretty close lipped about it but there were sometimes, like this one, where Shimizu and Noya almost seemed like a couple? And then, other times, it was Asahi and Shimizu? And then some other times, Hinata could've sworn that Noya and Asahi had a thing…

Hinata shook his head. There were some mysteries even the Ace of Spades couldn't solve by spying. He guessed the important thing was that all three of them seemed happy.

"Hinata," a voice called from the side of the room.

Neither Noya or Shimizu so much as paused.

Hinata looked over to see Yachi and his heart lept to his throat.

"Yachi! What's wrong? Is Kageyama-"

"The King's fine," Yachi immediately reassured.

Hinata could breathe again. "Then, what's up?"

Yachi bit her lip. "The Queen and I talked about it and decided it would probably be fine if you go back to guarding since you're not getting any rest here….But only for a couple more hours. And then you have to _promise_ you'll get some sleep and let one of the others take back over."

"I'll do it!" Noya volunteered, before pulling into a flip to avoid one of Shimizu's punches.

Hinata grinned happily. Two more hours! Suga had told him to take a break for at least the rest of the night.

"Thanks, Yachi!" Hinata said happily, reaching out to hug the shorter woman.

Yachi laughed, hugging him back. "But, sleep after. Promise?"

"Promise," Hinata agreed.

Yachi patted his back, looking fond. "Alright, go grab your uniform then."

Hinata pulled away, running off to grab a spare set he kept in the East Tower.

 _Two hours_ , Hinata reminded himself. And then maybe if Hinata could prove that he really had rested Suga and Yachi would let him go longer next time.

As long as the Ace of Spades was alive, _nothing_ would happen to his King.


	8. Chapter 8

_17 Years Prior_

 _A week after Takeda had talked to them about their respective roles, Hinata and Tsuki both found themselves in the East Tower for the first day of their new training._

 _Takeda looked nervous but Hinata was excited...Tsuki looked disinterested-but he always looked like that._

 _The only thing that kind of made Hinata nervous was that apparently Takeda wasn't going to be at the lessons. And, in fact, the man had indeed only walked them through the East Tower's entrance before patting them both on the head and leaving them in the hands of a man he'd called Keishin._

 _Truthfully, Hinata was still kind of preoccupied by the super cool tower and his eyes were still darting from the wall of swords and knives to the large open spaces. Hinata smiled happily. This was going to be awesome. He could tell already._

 _Tsuki elbowed him sharply in the side._

" _Ow." Hinata turned to glare. Both Tsuki and the man-Keishin-were looking at him expectantly._

" _Oh, um, sorry," Hinata said sheepishly. "I really like your tower."_

 _Tsuki rolled his eyes but Keishin laughed._

" _Good," the man said. "Because it's where you two will be living for the next ten or so years."_

" _Really?!" Hinata yelled excited. Tsuki scrunched his face at the hanging moss and general decay._

" _Well, not technically," Keishin admitted. "You'll still be sleeping and eating with Takeda. But every spare second? Yeah, you two will be right here."_

" _Awww," Hinata sighed while Tsuki looked a bit more pleased with this arrangement._

" _Now, as Takeda might have already told you," the man started, placing his hands on his hips. "I'm Ukai Keishin."_

" _Like the former King," Tsuksi interrupted._

" _Yep, that was my gramps," Keishin agreed. "But, more importantly for you two, I've been running Spades' spy organization while we've been without an Ace. Which means that I know more about spying than anyone in the kingdom."_

" _I want to learn everything," Hinata told the man, bouncing up and down. "I want to be the best spy ever! Please, teach me!"_

 _Keishin laughed again. "Trust me, kid. You won't be that enthusiastic once the training starts. You're the Ace, right?"_

 _Hinata nodded quickly._

" _Then, I'm going to teach you how to become a spy and assassin," Keishin said, giving Hinata a serious look. "That means hard work with no breaks, not even when it feels like you're about to die and sometimes you might be. And you_ will _end up hating me. You ready for that, kid?"_

 _Hinata opened his mouth before pausing, taking a rare opportunity to think through his answer._

 _Finally Hinata asked, "But, I'll be good enough to help Spades?"_

 _Keshin smiled with a bit too many teeth. "Trust me when I'm done with you, there won't be anyone better."_

 _Hinata nodded. "Okay. Then, I could never hate you."_

 _Keshin snorted before looking over to Tsuki-who's face had stayed blank._

" _Oh, no, I promise you he means it," Tsuki sighed wearily, which on a eight year old looked a bit ridiculous. "And he's just enough of an idiot that I bet he even follows through."_

" _You don't have to say it like that," Hinata muttered._

 _Keishin smiled. "Don't think you'll get it any easier, future Jack. By the time you're done, your head will be crammed with so much information, you'll think your brain's running out of your ears."_

 _Tsuki shrugged. "I'm sure I can handle it."_

" _I can see why Takeda's likes you two." The man stepped back and gestured for them to follow. "Come on, then. There's a few people who want to meet you two."_

" _Who," Hinata asked eagerly, hurrying to keep pace with the older spy. Tsuki followed sedately after._

" _Well," Keishin replied, heading for the stairs. "The Ace of Spades will always be the center point of the Spades' spy operation. But not even a fully trained Ace can always work alone," A flicker of pain passed over the man's face. "We learned that when the last Ace fell." He cleared his throat, swapping back to the jovial tone. "Anyway, I've found a few others who are very interested in learning the spy trade. If all works out, these three will be almost like teammates. Ready for when you're unavailable and helping our overall spy network extremely."_

" _Plus," the man said, shooting a glance backwards at Hinata. "It will give you three more people to carry your secret. Trust them, work with them,_ talk _to them, and they may prove to be great friends along with allies."_

 _ooooooo_

Something weird was going on, Kageyama could tell.

More specifically, something weird was going on with Hinata.

The Suit's manservant had been...overly present? Clingy wasn't the right word because it's not like Kageyama was annoyed by it but...the point was that Hinata had been in Kageyama's room more in the past _week_ than he was in a usual month.

Normally, Kageyama would see Hinata for a couple hours, maybe three if he was lucky, sometime between finishing breakfast and early afternoon. Now, more often than not Hinata was the one _bringing_ him breakfast and then staying with him sometimes until after dinner.

And it wasn't as if Kageyama didn't enjoy Hinata's presence. Weirdly enough, the man knew how to stay silent and let Kageyama read-even though more and more, Kageyama had found himself reaching out to draw Hinata into conversations. Often the conversations had to do with whatever Kageyama was reading but sometimes he found himself just learning more about Hinata. Kageyama found that he knew surprisingly little about Hinata's life before he became servant to the Spades' Suit. Which made the King feel oddly disconnected, wondering if Hinata rarely mentioned his past or Kageyama had just never bothered to ask.

In the past week, Kageyama had learned that Hinata had come to capital when he was seven after his village was destroyed; that the previous Jack, Takeda, was his distant relative which was how he ended up at the palace in the first place; and that this was how he had met Tsukishima, who had gotten him the jobs of servant and courier. Kageyama knew that Hinata was somewhat close to the Jack based on a couple of times he had slipped and called him by a nickname; but, he hadn't known they'd met when they were children.

Kageyama wondered what his own life would've been like if he hadn't shut himself away when he was still a child. Would he have met Hinata back then? Could they have been friends

"You're frowning," a bright voice accused.

Kageyama looked up to see his new constant companion, smiling at him from the other side of his desk.

"Am not," Kageyama frowned.

"Are toooo," Hinata singsonged. "Whatcha reading that's making you so frowny?"

Kageyama rolled his eyes but dutifully started in on an explanation about evolving farming techniques in areas of high irrigation, even though he was pretty sure he hadn't turned a page in half an hour.

Hinata smiled, boosting himself to sit on Kageyama's desk, maybe a touch closer than he necessarily needed to be. Kageyama felt something warm in his chest.

Maybe Hinata's sudden closeness was because of that almost moment-was it even a moment?-that Kageyama thought they had a week ago. Was that why he was making an effort to be around Kageyama more? Or...or maybe Kageyama was just imagining the moment? That probably didn't have anything to do with why Hinata was here. Maybe it was just some weird change in servant schedules to get ready for the Summer Festival and Hinata was being the same as always.

Kageyama didn't know and when he'd tried to ask Hinata about the obvious change in schedule, Hinata had just laughed and told him to take it up with Yachi if he didn't want Hinata here. And...well, Kageyama definitely _did_ want Hinata here, so he decided not to ask anymore.

It didn't matter, Kageyama decided. He should just try to enjoy it. Whatever the reason was, Hinata didn't seem to mind being here so Kageyama guessed it was okay.

ooooooo

Oikawa felt...kind of restless

It was weird. He didn't think he'd had the chance to actually be bored since he got to the castle. Normally, he'd be busy with one thing or the other-meeting with Yahaba, reading in the library, exploring the castle, talking to Iwaizumi. But, now? Now, he was just bored.

A part of Oikawa recognized it wasn't just boredom, but some kind of mix of annoyance and confusion as well.

The Ace- _Iwaizumi_ wasn't fitting with Oikawa's expectations and he didn't know how he felt about that.

Before coming to the palace, Oikawa had expected...well, he hadn't quite known what to expect from the Ace. He knew that he'd taken the throne sometime during the end of the Civil War, ruled alone for awhile, and basically not done any kind of significant changes since. Based on that, he assumed the Ace was something like the old Suit. Maybe an arrogant brat that had been treated as royalty since he was a teenager-much more concerned with his own wealth than helping Hearts.

And originally, his perception of the Ace wasn't that different. Sure, he had been a bit more...nice looking than Oikawa had expected and definitely a better fighter. But, overall, Oikawa hadn't been surprised when Iwaizumi threatened Oikawa's village to make him stay. Angry, yes; but not surprised. Wasn't that just like every other spoiled rich kid? Not getting your way, then make someone else's life miserable until you do. Who cares if it's an entire village of desperate citizens?

But...that had been a lie. Yahaba had confirmed that Iwaizumi always intended to give the village the decrease-and the neighboring ones as well. Also, when Oikawa had confronted him in the courtyard, Iwaizumi had seemed _relieved_ not to have to keep up the lie. That's the part that kept throwing Oikawa off-the relief.

Oikawa supposed the Ace could just be glad that his perfect perception wouldn't be tarnished by a filthy commoner like Oikawa but...that didn't seem right. More than that, Oikawa kept finding things he liked about Iwaizumi, the man behind the Ace. Talking to him had become...easier. He talked to Oikawa about politics as if he actually wanted Oikawa's opinion, even if they disagreed. Sometimes, Oikawa even found himself enjoying spending time with him.

It was all very confusing and Oikawa needed a distraction.

As if a sign by fate-though significantly less annoying than an actual Fate-the entrance to the palace kitchens just happened to come into view at that precise second. Oikawa shrugged, better than nothing and maybe he could actually help someone rather than just pacing randomly around the castle.

Hesitantly, Oikawa opened the door and glanced inside to what had to be the most enormous kitchen that he had seen in his entire life. It was _cavernous_ , filled with light by large windows and scattered with what had to be hundreds of different cooking tools. Easy to see how this place as responsible for the hundreds of meals prepared daily.

It was also surprisingly empty. In fact, Oikawa thought that _no one_ was there until finally, his eyes landed on a small older woman standing by the oven and calmly kneading bread.

"Excuse me," Oikawa called, gaining the woman's attention.

The woman turned, momentary surprise flitting across her face before a warm smile settled across her face. "Hello there, dear. Are you a new servant?"

"No, just...something of a visitor, I guess." Oikawa shook his head, maneuvering around the various kitchen equipment. " I thought I'd check in and see if I could offer some help; though, it seems I've missed the lunch rush."

The woman laughed. "Yes, dear. Most everyone's either taking their own lunch or cleaning up someone else's by now. It'll just be little old me for at least another hour."

Oikawa shrugged. "Mind an extra hand?"

The woman looked at him critically. "And why's a young man like you-a visitor to the palace no less-want to hang around an empty kitchen with an old woman?"

"For the excellent company, obviously," Oikawa replied, giving his most charming smile.

The woman laughed again. "Well, aren't you precious? Though I think I know you're type well enough. Feeling restless? Something on your mind?"

In some situations, Oikawa had learned it was best to just smile and hope the question would be dropped rather than try to deny or confirm a suspicion.

...it had never worked on his own grandmother but hopefully with this woman, he'd have better luck.

The woman continued to give him a hard stare before shaking her head. "Never mind answering then, I can see it from your face. Those vegetables need chopping if you want to busy your hands."

"Thank you," Oikawa replied, bowing his head slightly before coming to the chopping block she'd gestured towards. He grabbed the knife laying beside them and began chopping some carrots into nice even slices.

"What's your name, dear," the woman asked him, moving to sit in the chair across from him and continuing to knead the dough.

"It's Oikawa. Are these thin enough" he responded, gesturing at the carrot slices.

"Those are perfect."

Oikawa nodded, turning back. "I'm afraid I forgot to ask your name."

He glanced up just in time to see surprise flash across the woman's face.

"Oh," the woman replied, frowning briefly before her mouth settled into a sheepish smile. "It's been awhile since anyone had to ask me. Most new servants have heard of me already."

Oikawa frowned. "Have you been at the palace that long?"

"I'm Head Chef, dear. I was practically raised in this palace" the woman told him. "You can call me Nana, though. Everyone else does."

"It's nice to meet you," Oikawa responded politely.

"And you, sweetheart," Nana answered before patting Oikawa's hand and leaving him to his contemplative silence.

Unfortunately, contemplative silences were never very relaxing for Oikawa.

"Does your family work for the palace, too," Oikawa asked, glancing up from the vegetables.

Nana chuckled, looking down and shaking her head fondly. "I suppose we all serve Hearts in our own way but no, none of them have been palace servants for a number of years. My husband has a small forge out in the city; but, my son and his wife moved out to the coast a few years after they were married. My little grandson came to work as a page briefly but that was during that mess of a Civil War so his training was cut brief, I'm afraid."

Oikawa swallowed, wondering if he should ask.

"Oh, no, he's still alive," Nana answered hastily, sensing his discomfort. "The page life just ended up not being his calling."

Oikawa nodded. A thought occurred to him and he opened his mouth before he could stop himself.

"Can I ask you a question? What do you think about the Ace?"

The woman looked up at him surprised and Oikawa held back a flush.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Oikawa put in quickly. "If you're scared about it getting back to him. I promise I won't tell."

Really, Oikawa wasn't quite sure why he asked. He just...he just really wanted to talk about this with someone who wasn't either royalty or a questionably human personification of Order

Nana let out a chuckle. "Don't worry, dear. The Ace isn't the type of person to shove away criticism just because it's hard to hear. I'll speak my mind."

Oikawa swallowed, aligning this to his perception of the Ace...it fit, he guessed. Ever since the first time in the official audience had Iwaizumi never seemed mad at Oikawa's complaints-even when Oikawa wanted him to be. Sometimes, the Ace would be annoyed-but, that seemed more to do with how their personalities worked together than anything.

"Thank you," Oikawa responded sincerely.

The woman smiled, patting his cheek fondly.

"Now, let's see," the woman said, tilting her head in thought. "What can I say about the Ace. Well, he's definitely a bit gruff around the edges. He's got that scowl that's made more than one foreign dignitary shake in their boots," she gave Oikawa a wink. "He gets annoyed, easily. Never mad, exactly. And definitely never enough to scare anyone who doesn't deserve it. But, the boy will definitely get frustrated."

Oikawa nodded eagerly.

"But, ultimately," Nana continued. "The best descriptor I'd give his 'kind'."

"Kind?" Oikawa prompted. That...wouldn't be Oikawa's first descriptor even with his own conflicting feelings about the man behind the throne.

The woman nodded firmly. "Yes, kind. And, honestly, I think that goes into the others, too. He scowls and he gets frustrated, but if you notice he always gets the most frustrated when he's trying to help the people and finding things in his way. He's always got the gruffness but he hasn't once taken it out on anyone in his care." Nana smiled. "The Ace is a good leader, a kind leader. He makes Hearts better."

Oikawa frowned. "But...but what about all the things that are just the same as before? The people who are still suffering?"

Nana gave him a considering look.

"The Ace is trying, my dear," the woman told him plainly. "He cares about us and he's trying to help us." The woman shrugged. "Yes, there's always more to be done. Kingdoms aren't perfect and they never will be. But," She paused to meet Oikawa's eyes. "You can't hate a person when they care and are trying their hardest. That's all a leader can do."

Oikawa sat quietly, letting the words roll around in his head.

Nana let him, going back to kneading her dough.

Hearts...Hearts _wasn't_ perfect. And Hearts _could_ be better. Oikawa still firmly believed that.

But what about the rest. What did Nana say that Oikawa could agree with? What didn't fit.

Nana...Nana didn't seem blind to the Ace's faults. She wasn't a lovesick fan like the girls Oikawa had seen before. She wasn't like Takeru, too young to remember life before this Suit. She wasn't even caught up in hero worship like Yahaba. She was honest enough to admit that Hearts wasn't perfect and that more could be done in the future. But her points after that...her description of the Ace.

Truthfully, Oikawa still felt kind was a bit of a stretch for a main descriptor. But maybe, maybe that was because Oikawa was still viewing the Ace only by his actions as a leader...and the problems that Hearts still had.

But...was the Ace truly to blame? No, no, that wasn't the right question. Oikawa never thought the blame could be laid on just one man's shoulders. Not even when he hated the Ace. The best question was if the Ace was part of the problem like Oikawa had always seen him or...or if he was just a man trying to be part of a solution?

If it was the second, then Oikawa really couldn't hate him. A tiny voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he hadn't hated the Ace for a while. And, yeah, that was true but this was different. Oikawa had already probably accepted that Iwaizumi the person was a good man. Even if he would never tell the man out loud. But, what Nana said was different. It wasn't about Iwaizumi the man but Iwaizumi the Ace.

And...what if Iwaizumi the Ace was...was a good leader, too. Not a perfect leader, but someone who believes like Oikawa, who was trying.

Oikawa bit his lip.

He jerked in surprise when Nana reached out and patted his cheek again. "Sometimes, dear, when I'm trying to think something through, it helps me to walk around the castle.

Oikawa looked up and let out a rueful smile. "Thank you, Nana."

"Anytime, dear, anytime," the woman smiled. "You're always welcome in my kitchen. We could use an extra steady hand like yours."

Oikawa left the kitchen, now with more questions than when he'd entered

ooooooo

Tsukishima looked up from his desk as he heard a weird _bump-scratch_ noise coming from his door.

A second later, the door opened and Hinata walked in-on his hands with his feet up and held in a perfect line. Well, that answered the question of the noise. The idiot had apparently used his shoe to twist the door handle.

Frankly, the entire thing would have been more impressive if Tsukishima hadn't been around when Hinata was nine and Keishin ordered him to walk solely on his hands for an entire week in an effort to improve his balance and physical awareness.

As it was, all the Jack said was, "Bored?"

Hinata groaned, doing a cartwheel to right himself before collapsing in the visitor's chair, "Sooo bored. Yachi put me on break again?"

"How many hours had you been there," Tsukishima asked.

"I don't know? Ten? Eleven, maybe?" Hinata shrugged. "Figure out what was bothering you about the Hyakuzawa plot?"

"Not yet," Tsukishima bit out. "I'm close, though."

"Alert the rest of the Suits?"

Tsukishima nodded. "I sent out a message to Clubs and Diamonds to put extra guards on their Kings."

Hinata scrunched up his face. "Bokuto's going to hate that."

"That was what Akaashi essentially wrote back."

Hinata nodded and the two fell into silence.

"So," Hinata started again after a few minutes had passed. "What else is bothering you?"

"Isn't the possible infiltration of the entire Cards Kingdom enough?" Tsukishima raised a brow.

Hinata tilted his head, assessing. "Sure, I guess. But if it was that, you'd be trying to bug me to start an argument so you could figure it out. You always think best in an argument." Hinata hummed. "So far though, all you've given me are short answers. Something else is bugging you. Something you don't want to talk about."

"Then one would think that I wouldn't want to talk about it when _asked_ ," Tsukishima replied, trying for even but coming off a bit too snappish.

Hinata ignored him. "Is it the librarian? Yamaguchi? Yachi told me she saw you talking to him the other day?"

"What part of I don't want to talk about it are you missing," Tsukishima asked flatly.

"Not sure," Hinata shot back. "But you're missing the part where I might be able to help."

"I doubt it," Tsukishima retorted.

"Come on, Tsukiii," Hinata said, drawing out his name plaintively. "I've never seen you like this before and you've seen a lot of people"

Tsukishima glared. "So did you before you got hung up on his Royal Highness."

"No," Hinata corrected, rolling his eyes. "I _dated_ a lot of people. You went on dates with people. Singular dates, two if they were lucky. You didn't really care about them."

Fratricide always seemed like a vaguely appealing concept to Tsukishima.

"So, what?" he snapped. "And if I wanted to to have a piss poor psych eval, I wouldn't be going to you."

"You _care_ about Yamaguchi," Hinata emphasized. "That's what's got you so twisted up."

Tsukishima scoffed. "I do not and I am not."

Hinata glared and Tsukishima could just tell he was restraining sticking his tongue out like when they were kids.

"You do, though,' Hinata accused. "You're just scared."

"Scared of what," Tsukishima demanded.

"Of trying," Hinata said as if it was simple. And sometimes Tsukishima really, really hated how Hinata could do that. Could be a near idiot most of the time and then make huge leaps about other people's mental processes, be _right,_ and then talk about it like it was obvious.

"Fine," Tsukishima bit out, well aware that this conversation would not end until he admitted it. "Fine, I don't want to ask him out because I'm worried he might say no. Happy? Going to try to tell me I'm being stupid?"

"Course not," Hinata frowned.

"...Oh." Tsukishima deflated. He then immediately got suspicious. "Why not?"

Because it kind of sounded like even Hinata didn't think he had a shot and if that was the case then….well, Tsukishima didn't exactly know how he'd feel.

"Because I still have the same problem with Kageyama, duh," Hinata replied and Tsukishima immediately felt a relief that he refused to examine too closely. "I'm still scared of doing anything about Kageyama so it would be like super hypocritical of me to lecture you about asking out Yamaguchi." Hinata's frown took on a contemplative edge. "Although, mine is mostly centered around the whole him being King and him not knowing I'm Ace and like it jeopardizing the kingdom or something if it didn't work out…"

"Okay, I get it," Tsukishima interrupted.

Hinata shrugged again.

"So, if you weren't even going to annoy me about asking him out," Tsukishima glared. "Then, what even was the point of this?"

Hinata propped his head on his hands. "Because it's important to know why you're scared. Otherwise how can you beat it?"

Tsukishima rolled his eyes and bit back a groan. That was such a Hinata answer. He honestly didn't know why expected anything else.

"By the way," Tsukishima added, figuring he should at least mention this to the Ace. "There's a mission tonight."

Hinata sat up. "Do you need me?"

Tsukishima shook his head. "No, it should be fairly simple. Just a routine surveillance and reconnaissance. Only reason I'm even bothering with it is there's a rumor some Hyakuzawans could be involved. I assigned it to Noya. It's more important to have you on guard duty."

"Kay," Hinata agreed and Tsukishima could see in his expression that Hinata was already preoccupied, worrying about guard duty. "Tell me how it goes?"

"Will do," Tsukishima responded dryly. "Now, if all you're going to do is look lovesick or fret about the King, then get out of my office."

This time Hinata really did stick his tongue out at him.

"See if I try to help you again," Hinata retorted and made no move to get up.

Tsukishima leaned back at his desk and resigned himself to the company.

ooooooo

 _Ugh, this mission was so boring_ , Noya thought as he remained squeezed into a tiny section of the roof as he had been for the last six hours.

The mission, as Tsukishima had explained it, was simple: watch unseen from the roof, find out why some boring Hyakuzawa criminals were in the area, and leave and report back. All in all, the mission shouldn't have taken three hours max.

The problem? The stupid Hyakuzawan guys never showed up! Not much point trying to see a meeting, if the meeting never happened!

But Noya-like the cool, awesome, _patient_ , super spy that he was-had dutifully waited on his small, tiny place on the roof _just in case_ the criminals were showing up late. Cause I mean, hey, they're low level criminals? Maybe they're not really the type to care about punctuality.

Now, it was nearing sunrise though and literally _no sane person_ -criminal or otherwise-wanted to be up at this hour. Noya fought back a yawn and resigned this mission to an unfortunate bust.

Although...if he hurried back, there was a chance that Kiyoko and Azumane might be up early-because those two were insane like that-so he might get to have breakfast with his two beautiful, lovely, and altogether charming partners before he headed for a well deserved sleep. So, all in all, maybe this mission wouldn't be a complete waste of time.

 _It was still really disappointing though_ , Noya frowned. All the spies had their different unique specialties. If you wanted to know about poisons or healing, go to Azumane. Had a job that needed infiltration? Kiyoko's your spy. Was your job insane and bordering on impossible? Hinata was...well, Hinata.

But for getting in and out unseen? Noya was the _best._ Maybe even better than the Ace, definitely a close call. No one could get in and out places like Noya could. No one could do it while remaining practically invisible. Azumane always said it was "ironic", Kiyoko used "unexpected", Tsukishima had once commented "how can a loudmouth like you be _so quiet_." Personally, Noya would use the word "awesome".

The point was that Noya was kind of disappointed that he didn't get to be any of these things and instead had spent his night on a small nook enclosed in the overhang of a roof-an easily defensible position that had the bonus of hiding him and giving a great vantage point.

Noya sighed, grabbing the edge of the roof to flip over. Oh, well, it's not like every mission could be exciting.

Landing on the roof, Noya took just a second to look over the city. The first touches of sun could just be seen over the lower parts of the horizon. It made the city seem still, peaceful. Noya breathed out, watching the dew for over the roof's edge.

Before he could turn, a sharp pressure dug into his lower back.

And then... _pain_.

An agonizing pain that had Noya's knees buckle as he landed hard on the rooftop. Dark red started mixing with the dew drops and Noya blinked, confused.

Before blackness encroached in his vision, the last thing he heard was a low whisper right beside his ear.

"An honor to kill you, Ace of Spades."

ooooooo

A/N: Sorry for being a day late. Busy week. As always, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

_17 Years Prior_

 _The two boys followed their new teacher up the stairs._

" _So these are the spies that have been filling in for the Ace," Tsuki asked._

" _Not quite," Keishin admitted. "Right now, they'll need just as much training as you two."_

" _Why," Tsuki asked suspiciously._

 _Keishin just smiled and opened the door at the top of the stairs._

" _WHOAH!" a voice yelled out. "ARE YOU THE ACE?!"_

 _A short boy-probably not much older than Hinata or Tsuki and with brown spiky hair-ran out, almost colliding into Keishin before he caught himself._

 _Hinata found himself staring into bright brown eyes before the eyes flickered over to Tsuki._

 _The boy frowned. "Wait, why are there two of you?" He looked excitedly to Keishin. "Wait, are there two Aces!? That's awesome!"_

 _Keishin rolled his eyes. "No, one as always. The other one's a Jack that's interested in becoming spy master. The orange one's the Ace."_

 _The boy's eyes darted back to Hinata, scanning up and down before returning to his face. The boy grinned. "Hey, you're as short as me! That's so cool!"_

 _Hinata matched his smile. "Yeah! And you're a kid just like us!" He looked at Keishin. "So, we're going to get to train together."_

 _The other boy let out a whoop as Keishin nodded._

 _The boy grabbed Hinata's hand. "Come on! You got to meet the others."_

 _Before he could respond, the boy dragged Hinata into the room where two others waited-a boy and a girl. "Hey, guys! It's the Ace."_

" _P-pleased to m-meet you, Mr. Ace, s-sir," stuttered a boy that was easily a foot taller than Hinata._

 _The first boy laughed. "Asahi, he's like our age. You don't have to call him 'sir'"_

" _I'm Hinata," Hinata greeted, waving with the hand that was still free from Noya's grasp. He pointed behind him. "And that's Tsuki!"_

" _Tsukishima," Tsuki corrected with a glare. "Stop introducing me like that."_

 _Hinata ignored him. "He's going to be the Jack."_

" _I-I'm Asahi Azumane," the taller boy replied, smiling nervously. "It's, um, it's an honor."_

" _Yeah," Hinata agreed. "For us, too. I can't believe there's other kids our age that we can work with."_

 _Asahi's smile looked a little less nervous._

 _The quiet girl in the corner finally gave a nod in greeting. "Shimizu Kiyoko. Pleased to meet you."_

 _Hinata smiled, sticking out a hand because that's what Takeda told him to do when greeting people. "Nice to meet you, too."_

" _Noya," Hinata heard Asahi whisper to the first boy. "Did you tell them your name, yet?"_

" _Oh, right," the boy said, placing his hands on his hips and grinning. "I'm Nishinoya Yuu. But you can just call me Noya." the boy winked. "And if you two are the Ace and Jack, then I promise that you can always count on me!"_

 _Hinata grinned brightly._

" _Oh, great," Tsuki intoned flatly, looking between Hinata and Noya. "There's two of you."_

 _Hinata stuck his tongue, making the spluttering noise that always made Tsuki's eye twitch.. Tsuki didn't know what he was talking about._

 _This was going to be awesome._

ooooooo

Hinata knew there was something wrong the moment Yachi stuck her head in to say, "Your Highness, we need Hinata in the kitchen."

Brow furrowing in apparent confusion, Kageyama paused mid-sentence before gesturing for Hinata to go.

Something was...something was very wrong.

There were three warnings signs.

The first, Hinata had only been guarding Kageyama for five hours-four as the Ace of Spades, hidden in the shadowed parts of the tower, and one as Hinata the servant. Yachi had promised him he'd get _at least_ fifteen hours before she forced him to get a break.

The second, Hinata didn't often work in the kitchens. Sure, he'd help out a few times off and on-enough to be familiar with basic procedures and friendly enough with all the staff. But, Hinata would never be one of the first to be called if the kitchen truly needed more servants. Especially, not when there was the King to guard.

The third and the biggest, the one that had really tipped Hinata off, Yachi looked looked like she'd been crying. And Yachi didn't cry over much anymore, not since she'd gotten a handle on her anxiety years ago and took over as assistant to the Jack of Spades. Not unless, something really, really bad happened.

All of this meant that the moment Hinata got out the door, he turned and said, "Yachi, what happened?"

Yachi shook her head, face grim. "Not here. Follow me."

Hinata did and she led them straight down the stairs and in the direction of the east wing of the palace-directly to the East Tower. Once, inside and past the dilapidated interior, Hinata saw his fourth sign: Tsuki was waiting for him.

"Did you tell him," Tsuki demanded briskly.

"Not yet, I figured you'd have more details," Yachi answered.

Tsuki nodded. "Go up and check on the situation. I'll fill him in."

Yachi nodded and ascended the stairs that Hinata knew led to Asahi's workshop-and the infirmary. Hinata was really worried now.

"Tsuki," the Ace began cautiously. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Tsuki sighed and Hinata's attention was drawn to the tension in his jaw. Tsuki was...upset, tense.

"Noya was stabbed early this morning and left for dead," Tsuki said before Hinata could comment.

Hinata's stomach dropped. "WHAT?! Is he okay? Is he…"

The bile in the back of his throat prevented Hinata from being able to finish.

"He's still alive," Tsuki answered quickly before hesitating. "He's...he's barely alive. Asahi says," the Jack swallowed, "Asahi says it's a miracle that he _is_ still alive."

"What happened," Hinata asked again.

"Asahi was worried that he hadn't returned yet so went to go check on him," Tsuki explained, voice swapping to the business tone he used to impart mission details. "He found Noya on the roof across from the building he was set to monitor. He'd been stabbed, was unconscious, and was rapidly losing blood. If," the concern in Tsuki's voice leaked through into the matter of fact tone. "If it had been a few minutes longer or if he had been found by anyone without the same medical knowledge as Asahi, he wouldn't have made it." Tsuki paused again, taking a breath. "Anyway, Asahi applied immediate medical treatment along with a minor toxin he created that slows blood circulation. After that, he was able to rush him back to the palace and contact Suga to use his magic for healing, which is what they're doing right now."

Hinata breathed, heartbeat fighting to steady. "I thought it was a simple mission?"

Something dark flashed in Tsuki's eyes. "Yes. It was...or it should have been. Based on the time that Asahi found him and his estimate on how long he'd been there, I'd assume Noya's targets never showed."

Hinata zeroed in on that, trying to reach whatever conclusion Tsuki had made.

"...you think it was a set up," Hinata questioned.

Tsuki nodded. "Shimizu's tracking down the informant who gave the information currently."

That made sense. Shimizu was...Shimizu didn't handle it well when she was waiting for news on people she cared about. Normally, the spy remained calm and unflappable to a degree that boggled Hinata's mind; but the few times one of the other spies had been injured, she almost couldn't stand still. Having a mission would be good for her….though very bad for whoever the target was.

"What would be the point of a set up," Hinata asked, looking back to the Jack.

Tsuki's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure yet….but, I have a few guesses."

He shook his head before Hinata could ask. "Let's go check on Noya."

Hinata frowned but nodded, following the Jack up the stairs to the infirmary. Getting to the top, Tsuki knocked on the door and was quickly received by Yachi slipping out and closing it behind her.

"Suga says he stabilized," Yachi told them, keeping her voice low.

"Good," Hinata answered, giving a small smile that Yachi returned with a slightly wary edge.

"He hasn't woken up at all," Yachi continued. "But neither Asahi or Suga are really expecting him to for at least the next few days."

"Any more news on what happened," Tsuki asked.

Yachi bit her lip, an old habit to hide anxiety. "Nothing really, Asahi said that it didn't look like he'd been moved but there wasn't any sign of whoever did it when Asahi got there-not that that was his main priority."

"Still," Tsuki said, a contemplative note in his voice. "It means whoever did it likely wasn't rushed to hide the evidence. Whoever it was wanted him to be found." Tsuki grimaced. "Though, they probably weren't expecting he'd still be alive."

"Can we see him," Hinata asked, interrupting before it got too morbid.

Yachi nodded. "Suga says it should be fine for a few minutes now that he's got him stable. I'm going to go wait to update Shimizu when she gets back."

"Tell her to report to me when she gets finished checking on Noya," Tsuki told his assistant.

"Will do," Yachi said, heading off for the stairs and the tower's main room.

As soon as she was gone Hinata reached for the door, sparing a glance to make sure Tsuki was ready, before opening it and allowing the two to slip inside.

The smell of blood was the first thing Hinata noticed. An overwhelming smell for the small room-cloying and thick. It made Hinata's heart skip a beat in his chest before he even saw Suga and Asahi's expressions. The two men were sitting over a prone figure on Asahi's small infirmary bed that Hinata couldn't see yet but assumed was Noya. Both of their faces were set into grim lines but with some light of relief shining through.

"He's stable," Suga told them.

Asahi let out a stuttered sigh at the words, looking back to the pallet. Followed by Tsuki, Hinata stepped forward until could see Noya laying on the bed. The spy looked pale and almost grey, cheeks sunken in slightly, but his face was smoothed out in sleep.

Hinata let out a breath, feeling something relax. Noya looked...well, bad, but not like he was in immediate danger of dying.

"Yachi told us," Tsuki explained. "Is it okay if we see him for a few minutes."

Suga nodded before looking at Asahi. The bigger man shrugged, expression shifting to something softer and fond. "Sure, although I expect he may be the quieter one for once."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Noya tensed in the bed, eyes flying open.

"Hinata," Noya shouted suddenly before his breath got stuck in his throat and he choked, tilting his head and almost twisting off the bed before Asahi stepped in to hold him back.

"NOYA," Asahi yelled urgently. "STAY STILL! YOU'LL PULL YOUR STITCHES!"

"Hinata," Noya coughed before he finally caught his breath, allowing Asahi to hold him back down on the bed while Suga frantically examined the stitches in his midsection.

"Noya," Hinata said, stepping forward and leaned in close until he was in the spy's view. "I'm here. What is it?"

Obviously still in a dazed delirious state, Noya's eyes swam around the room until they finally landed on Hinata. Landing on Hinata, the eyes widened in surprise and recognition.

 _Oh,_ Hinata realized. _Not calling me. Saying something about me._

"Shouyou," Noya breathed, focusing briefly. "The guy...the guy thought I was you...he said...he was killing the Ace."

In the corner of his vision, Hinata saw Tsuki stiffen from where he had leaned in beside him but Hinata was more focused on the injured spy.

"You...you were almost killed because of me," Hinata asked softly, voice barely strong enough to be heard by Noya in his disoriented state.

Noya opened his mouth again and seemed to frown before his eyes rolled back and the spy fell back onto the pallet-unconscious. Asahi briefly spared a look before calling out to Suga that the drugs had taken full effect. Suga nodded, finishing his check on the stitches and waving a hand to redo the bandaging.

"Honestly," Suga sighed. "We gave him enough to knock out two full grown men."

Asahi laughed weakly. "That's Noya." He turned to Hinata and Tsuki. "What did he say? I was busy making sure he didn't flip off his own hospital bed."

"He said," Hinata swallowed hard. "He said that the guy who stabbed him thought he was the Ace.

Hinata just had time to see Suga's eyes widened and Asahi take in a sharp breath before Tsuki interrupted with a clipped, "We need to go. Now."

With that, Tsuki grabbed Hinata's arm and pulled him urgently to the door and out the room.

"Tsuki!" Hinata yelped as the Jack continued to stride forward to the stairs-still pulling on Hinata. "What are you doing?"

"I figured it out," Tsuki told him, a serious intensity taking over his face before he frowned. "At least, I think I did."

"You figured out who stabbed Noya," Hinata gasped, hurrying to keep pace. "How?"

Tsuki shook his head. "No, but I believe I know who hired them. More importantly, I think I figured to the Hyakuzawan's plan?"

"Then, where are we going," Hinata asked.

"My office. I _think_ I figured it out," Tsuki repeated. "But I need to talk it through with. You're my best option."

The last bit he finished with a slight disdainful tone and if the situation was different, Hinata would have rolled his eyes. When he was putting the pieces together, Tsuki _always_ preferred talking things out with Hinata-not that the Jack would ever admit it.

As soon as the two made it to the office, Tsuki immediately closed and locked the door behind him. He looked back to Hinata, expression turning considering.

Hinata's eyes flickered to the floor.

"You're feeling guilty, aren't you," Tsuki said, somehow making it sound like an accusation.

Hinata's face contorted in what was half a sigh and half a grimace. "Of course, I am. Noya just almost got killed because they thought he was me."

"All the spies have been injured on missions before," Tsuki put in, voice calm but not cold.

"On missions," Hinata emphasized. "Because of the missions. Not just because someone wanted to kill the Ace."

"It's not like this was your fault," Tsuki reminded, raising an eyebrow.

Hinata hesitated. "No, but it was still because of me… He almost died, just because I didn't take a mission."

"Stop that," Tsuki cut him off, glaring.

Hinata winced. "But-"

"Yes," Tsuki said, voice firm. "Noya nearly died from a mission. Yes, it was because people were after the Ace of Spades. But, that doesn't make it your fault and worrying about him doesn't help." Tsuki shook his head, frustrated. "It's his _job_ , Hinata. And one he does for Spades, not just you. So stop belittling his choices by feeling guilty and sit down and help me figure this out."

A beat passed.

Hinata nodded, sitting down.

"Okay," Hinata said, straightening to attention and giving Tsuki his full focus. "What's up?"

"It's the priorities, I got the priorities wrong," Tsuki huffed, walking around the desk to pace like he always did when he was really trying to figure something out. "I overvalued ourselves. Or maybe undervalued?...Anyway, I misunderstood what type of person the king was. What type of King he'd have to be to raise to the top among twelve other siblings."

"Tsuki, what are you talking about," Hinata interrupted.

Tsuki waved a hand quickly, focusing on Hinata. "I'm saying this wrong….Hinata, why didn't we just go kill the King of Hyakauzawa? Immediately, when we found out about the marks?"

Hinata stared at him like he was crazy. "Because it would start a war!"

"Exactly," Tsuki shouted, snapping his fingers. "And war would be bad."

"Umm, yeah," Hinata said slowly. "Bit of an understatement. But, sure."

"But, what if it wasn't bad," Tsuki demanded.

"What if war wasn't...bad," Hinata asked before shaking his head. "No, sorry, you lost me again."

"That's it, though," Tsuki said, light flashing in his eyes. "That's what different. That's why I didn't get it."

Hinata continued to stare at him.

Tsuki ignored him, walking to a shelf and quickly pulling out a rolled parchment and opened it over the desk to reveal a map of Cards and the surrounding kingdom-Diamonds to the north and bordering Hyakuzawa, Clubs to the west, Hearts to the east, and Spades to the South and bordering Nohebi.

"Okay, so let's say war isn't bad," Tsuki said and Hinata stood to stare over the map with him. "How would you start one?"

"You want to start a war?," Hinata asked, eyes wide.

Tsuki nodded sharply. "Hypothetically, yes. So, humor me."

Hinata frowned, thinking back to his history lessons from Takeda and Keishin. "Weaken the opponent's defenses, block their offense, and create instability. Right?"

Tsuki smiled though it didn't hold any humor. "That's what there doing. Hyakuzawa's starting a war."

Hinata's head snapped to the Jack.

"Why?" he breathed, horrified. "Why do you think that?"

"Weaken the defenses," Tsuki pointed to Diamonds on the map. "Cards biggest defense is the Diamond mountains, only way an army could get through is straight through Diamond's capital."

"Which they stole the defense plans for," Hinata broke in.

Tsuki nodded, moving his finger to Hearts. "Block their offense. Of all the Suits, Hearts is the only one with enough knights to make a military. Have a new King of Hearts to delay or stop them coming to our aid and Card's offense falls drastically."

"Hearts would still come to our aid," Hinata insisted. "Iwaizumi, Yahaba, and Mad Dog wouldn't let them not. New King or not."

Tsuki shrugged. "Then, it goes to the next point. Create instability. Hearts is still recovering from a Civil War. Infighting between their Suit could tip their balance. At the very least, it would delay aid." Tsuki moved on to Spades. "Also, with creating instability, taking out Spades' King." the Jack frowned. "I was stupid. I kept thinking about the King as Kageyama that I missed what was obvious." Tsuki looked back up. "Of all the Card monarchs, Kageyama isolates himself the most. He's the easiest target."

"Shit," Hinata swore, seeing where Tsuki was going. "Take out Spades monarch and we have one kingdom without a monarch for at least a few years, one kingdom with compromised defense, and our military under a divided Suit."

Tsuki sighed. "Which leads us to the last tell. An attack against the Ace of Spades."

Hinata tilted his head, confused. "Wait? Which point does that fall under?"

"All of them," Tsuki said flatly. "In a war, having a trained spy and assassin would be invaluable. Not to mention, you're the biggest unknown in all of the Cards' Suits. Take out the Ace of Spades; you hurt Cards' ability to form an offense through direct assassinations of the opposition, damage our defense by hurting a major link for information gathering, and make a blow against the entire kingdom's morale. Hyakuzawa's not making a move that _might_ cause a war. They're making moves to win one."

Silence followed Tsuki's statement as the Jack and Ace stared at each other.

"Tsuki," Hinata said, finally breaking it. "What are we going to do?"

The Jack of Spades looked down, back at the map. "I'm not sure."

Tsuki breathed out, shifting his gaze to Hinata.

"And if we don't figure it out, the entire Card Kingdom will fall."

ooooooo

In a move more to prevent going stir crazy, Oikawa had decided to venture outside of the palace and into the capital. This time avoiding abandoned streets that bandits hung out in, thank you very much.

Currently, he found himself in the middle of a bustling market and Oikawa was entranced. Everywhere he went there was noise and laughter and arguing and people hurrying this way and that. There was obviously an established familiarity between the people-familiar greetings exchanged, children running underfoot. He'd never seen this much stuff being sold, this many _people_ out and busy.

It was amazing and Oikawa was struck once again by a deep fondness for his kingdom. Oikawa resolved that he would have to go into the city some more before his month ran out and he returned to his small village.

Beside, the market gave Oikawa something to do except worry. Did worrying count as something to do? If so, it was kind of a shitty pastime.

This morning, right after Oikawa had met Iwaizumi for their usual tradition of breakfast and arguing, Mad Dog had coming knocking at the Ace's office. Oikawa had really only gotten a glance at the Mage but he had seemed...tense. Even for Mad Dog which couldn't be healthy.

Anyway, apparently the Jack of Spades had called an immediate meeting for all the Cards Suits so Yahaba, Iwaizumi, and Mad Dog would be busy with that for the foreseeable future. Oikawa didn't exactly know how they were planning on doing that considering that the different Suit were separated by literally entire kingdoms, but Oikawa had kind of shrugged it off to magic.

The thing that had Oikawa more worried was the reason for the meeting. Mainly, the fact that Oikawa didn't know the reason and couldn't figure out what it was. He supposed he could just ask Iwaizumi or even Yahaba, but Oikawa kind of doubt it, they'd tell him. I mean sure, the Ace was trying to get him to _become_ King of Hearts but the fact remained that Oikawa wasn't yet. _And never would be,_ Oikawa mentally added. There had to be limits to what you told non-Suite members.

He assumed the meeting had something to do with the same thing he'd picked up on in his first meeting with Yahaba-the potential war or invasion that had the Jack initially hesitating on repositioning the knights. But even guessing about that-which he still wasn't entirely sure about or knew if this meeting was about-it still didn't tell Oikawa what he could be doing, how he could be helping, or preparing his village.

Oikawa had always felt like not having information was generally more frustrating than even having bad news. At least with one, you knew what you were up against.

He ran a hand threw his hair, restless. This was pointless. He couldn't properly worry about something he didn't know enough about and not knowing enough about it was what was making him worry. He needed something to do or he'd drive himself crazy before this month even ended.

Accidentally being reminded of his month, now entering its third week, brought up another one of Oikawa's...challenges.

Recently, Oikawa had been spending more and more of his free time talking with Iwaizumi. Something had...something was different between them ever since Oikawa had talked to Nana in the kitchen and Oikawa still didn't quite know how to feel. He liked Iwaizumi as a person, he could admit that now. Talking to him was easy and...well, fun a lot of the time. Oikawa genuinely enjoyed his company and found himself looking for the Ace when he wasn't there. They still argued, they still insulted each other regularly but, now, their debates seemed more playful-still intensely discussed and still often heated but now the insults lacked their barbs turning them into more discussions than fighting.

The thing that still bothered Oikawa was he wasn't as sure of his opinion as Iwaizumi the Ace, leader of the country. He still disagreed with a lot of the policies, still thought the Ace leaned too cautious when the county needed progress. But...at the same time, he wasn't so sure this alone made Iwaizumi's leadership inherently flawed.

 _He was trying._ That was what Nana had told him and...maybe if Oikawa didn't have his new friendship with the Ace as well, then that wouldn't be enough. But knowing Iwaizumi the man and seeing him in action made Oikawa's previous opinions sit uncomfortably in his mind. Not completely unfounded, but still an unfair judgement.

And if the Ace was a good leader, than what did it mean that he wanted Oikawa as King?

"Is the Young King off to see the Noble Ace?"

Oikawa just managed not to jump.

"Quit doing that," Oikawa hissed under his breath. "And make it so other people can see you or I am _not doing this._ I already have one village thinking I'm crazy, I'm not having the capital."

"I thought you preferred me to remain unseen," Ushijima frowned.

What Oikawa had actually said-now roughly eleven years ago-was "quit talking to me in public. People are beginning to wonder why a strange man is following me". What the Fate had done was make is so Oikawa instead appeared to talk to himself. Ushijima had a strange definition of helping.

"Just make yourself seen," Oikawa grumbled.

A pop echoed in Oikawa's ears and the crowd suddenly unconsciously moved to allow for one more person to stand in the space. No one seemed to at all notice that an over six foot man was now standing where once there was only air.

Oikawa sighed. Well, at least he wouldn't look crazy.

"What makes you think I'm going to see the Ace," Oikawa asked lazily, looking between the stalls as they passed. He had been about to head to the training grounds to see if Iwaizumi was out of the meeting...but it's not like he was going to admit that to Ushijima.

"It was a conjecture based on the inordinate amount of time you spend with the Nobel Ace," Ushijima told him as stiff and formal as ever. "Especially around the time he normally gets done training the knights. I assumed it was because of your appreciation of the Nobel Ace's physique."

Oikawa choked on his spit.

He turned to the Fate with an expression that bordered on horror. "What?! No! What are you even talking about?"

Ushijima blinked, tilting his head. "I merely suggest that your interest in the Ace was not merely of an intellectual or politically beneficial nature."

Oikawa was fairly sure he was turning the color of a tomato and hoped a stray vegetable vender wouldn't mistake him for their wares.

"Um, what makes you say that?" Oikawa asked, desperately trying for accusatory rather than defensive. "Also, how do you even know about that stuff! You're a personification of Fate, you're not even fully human!"

"I have been in this form for close to a thousand years, Young King," Ushijima commented reasonably, "Though, I will admit. I would not have put it together without overhearing you talk in your sleep."

"WHAT?!" Oikawa yelled, earning the looks of a view passersby. He hastily pulled the Fate to an abandoned alley off the corner of the market.

"What were you doing listening to me while I sleep," Oikawa whispered furiously. And that was a much _much_ better question than what exactly the Fate had overheard. Oikawa desperately tried to not think about one particular dream he'd had a few nights ago.

"It is my duty to watch over you," Ushijima said, sounding perplexed at Oikawa's behavior. "Do not fear though. I did take my leave when your talk got too...specific."

This was it. Oikawa was dead. Ushijima would have to find another would-be King to annoy because there was absolutely no way that Oikawa was alive after this level of mortification.

"Young King?"

"Go away. I'm dead," remarked Oikawa blandly.

The Fate continued to look at him in confusion. "I am unsure the reason for your distress. My fellow Fate, Chaos, has assured me multiple times that it is a completely normal human experience to-"

"Please," Oikawa interrupted. "Please, I'm literally _begging_ you to stop talking."

Even his grandmother giving him The Talk when he was a kid was less embarrassing than this.

"As you wish, Young King."

Oikawa glared. "Admit it, you only started all of this 'Young King' and 'Nobel Ace' stuff cause you couldn't be bothered to remember our names, didn't you?"

There was a pause. A long enough one that Oikawa actually became a bit concerned.

He looked up at Ushijima and for the first time Oikawa could remember, the Fate looked...sad or at least slightly wistful.

"Your lives go by so fast," Ushijima finally said, voice carefully blank. "I'll admit it gets hard to keep track."

And that was...well, that was just weird so Oikawa quickly changed the topic before he ended up actually _comforting_ the personification of Order.

"So, I met the rest of the Hearts Suit by the way," Oikawa commented, swapping to Ushijima's favorite topic.

"Oh," the Fate immediately brightened. "And have they finally convinced you of your destiny."

"Nope," Oikawa rolled his eyes. "But, they are kind of cool. I like them."

Ushijima nodded. "Of course, only the best in mind, spirit, and heart are chose to lead the Card Kingdoms."

Oikawa laughed, somewhat bitterly. "I wonder what that says about me?"

Ushijima looked at Oikawa curiously. "...I don't understand your question. Are you implying that-"

"Anyway," Oikawa interrupted again, pushing off the wall. "I better get going if I want to catch Iwa-chan."

"Ahhh, yes," Ushijima nodded. "Using a 'chan' suffix as a symbol of endearment. Yet another sign of human courtship."

Oikawa squinted at the sky, wondering how long he'd been gone. "I actually use it to annoy him."

"So," the Fate asked hesitantly. "You are bad at courtship, then?"

"It's not-gah, nevermind," Oikawa huffed, heading back into the market. "The point is you've done your check, I'm still at the palace, I still don't want to be King. You're good to go off and do whatever it is Fates do in their free time."

Before Oikawa could even finish the last word, Ushijima had disappeared in front of his eyes.

"Not even a proper 'bye'" Oikawa muttered, weaving through the crowd.

Telling himself that this was his plan anyway and that he was _not_ proving Ushijima right by doing this, Oikawa continued on from the market and to the training grounds.

Where he found that Iwaizumi was indeed out of the meeting and in the middle of training the new knights-a smile on his face and muscles stretching in his back and arms. Oikawa admitted silently that the Fate might've had something resembling a point in why he tended to visit Iwaizumi at exactly this time.

Settling down for the next hour, Oikawa waited by the palace wall until Iwaizumi was done with training for the day. Watching him with the other knights, Oikawa thought to himself that Iwaizumi was kind of good at this. Okay, he was _really_ good at this. He was a good fighter-obviously, you didn't get to be an Ace without that. But, what more impressed Oikawa was how good he was at teaching it to others. He was patient though firm-demanding the best while still taking the time to explain and help when the knights had trouble. And it was clear through watching that all of the knights clearly respected their Ace with an admiration that sometimes skipped too close to hero worship.

After finishing for the day and staying a bit after to answer some question a few of the knights had, Iwaizumi made his way over to where Oikawa had been sitting.

"Hey," the Ace greeted with a easiness almost friendliness that had defined most of their conversations of late. "What's up? Hoping for another spar?"

Oikawa sent him a flat look, but he was pretty sure the smile ruined it. "Not until the latest bruises heal, thanks. Just making sure the Ace was keeping up with his duties. Hearts is known for their knights, had to see if they were worth the reputation."

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. "And are they?"

Oikawa stretched, getting up. "Well, maybe not all parts of your legendary Ace reputation are exaggerated."

"High praise," Iwaizumi answered sarcastically.

Oikawa patted the Ace's shoulder condescendingly. "Don't let it go to your head, Iwa-chan."

"Oh, I'll try," Iwaizumi told him, he looked over the field which was just turning slightly orange as the sun began to set. Oikawa took that moment to examine him, watching the darkness around his eyes and the tension that still showed in his neck and jaw even after an hour of sparring. He almost asked about the meeting but Iwaizumi spoke first.

"Hey, you want to see something cool?"

"You have _another_ library," Oikawa asked, only half joking.  
Iwaizumi snorted. "Trust me if that was true. I would have told you about it ages ago. With two libraries, I don't think you'd _ever_ leave the palace. No, this place is different. You'll like it."

Oikawa tilted his head curiously. "Then, lead the way, oh Great Ace."

Oikawa followed as Iwaizumi led them back inside the palace, finding some stairs off the side of a hall, and then up and on another hall.

"Is this place close or are you just showing me that the palace is secretly a maze," Oikawa asked after about fifteen minutes.

Iwaizumi shook his head. "You have no patience."

"I'm beginning to think you have no sense of direction," Oikawa retorted. "Isn't that the same painting we walked passed like five minutes ago."

"No," Iwaizumi answered. "It's just part of a set. One of Hearts' Jacks had a fondness for Nohebi oil paintings."

"It's hideous," Oikawa commented.

Iwaizumi laughed but didn't disagree.

After another few minutes, Iwaizumi finally stopped at a worn down wooden door, hidden behind a curtain.

"Is it a secret room," Oikawa asked, not quite keeping the excitement out of his voice.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes again. "Just wait."

Pulling a key off of his belt, Iwaizumi unlocked the old looking padlock and pushed the door open to reveal-

More stairs.

"Iwa-chan," Oikawa joked lightly. "I swear if this is just you dragging me on your cool down after training, then we could have just stayed in the training yard."

Iwaizumi ignored him-which was probably fair-and started up the stairs, gesturing for Oikawa to follow.

Oikawa did and watched as Iwaizumi reached the top of the stairs and pushed open part of the roof, pulling himself through the opening. Oikawa pulled himself up after, finally looking around to see what was so important.

" _Wow,"_ Oikawa breathed.

"Told you," Iwaizumi responded smugly, gesturing around from the roof of Hearts' tallest tower.

It was beautiful. This high up, Oikawa could even see past the bustling city of Hearts capital and onto the green of the hills that rose above. Everything was lit by a warm orange glow of the setting sun, reflecting off the city and casting light back outwards. It felt alive-all of Hearts-alive and shining in a way that was so beautifully organic yet eternal. Oikawa felt like he couldn't breathe.

Iwaizumi laughed lightly, coming to stand beside him. "Yeah, I felt the same way when I first saw this place. You should see at night when the stars are shining and the lights of the city start to die down. It's...beautiful."

"If you like stars, you should see my village," Oikawa commented absently. "There's less lights from the town there, so you can see the stars. Millions of them. When I was a kid, my grandmother and I used to lay out on the grass and she'd name them for me."

"That sounds nice," Iwaizumi said and Oikawa finally tore his eyes away from the view to look at the Ace. He was smiling, the gold of the sun reflecting off his tan and giving him a warm light.

"It was," Oikawa told him. "Beautiful."

Iwaizumi nodded and made to sit on the roof. Oikawa joined him.

"You know," Iwaizumi began, half jokingly and half completely serious. "If you like this view so much, you can always just stay here."

Oikawa hesitated, reminded of something he'd been desperately wanting to ask the Ace almost the entire time he'd been at the palace.

"Why do you want me to be King?"

Iwaizumi glanced over at him, frowning slightly. "What do you mean? You _are_ King."

"No, I'm not," Oikawa shook his head, only partly on impulse. "All I have is a silly little mark on my hand. That just says I could be King. Why do you want me to be?"

"It's your destiny," Iwaizumi reminded.

"Destiny's a shitty reason," Oikawa answered frankly. "Destiny doesn't make anything, it just tries to annoy us into what it wants us to do. _People_ make Kings. What type of person someone is determines the King. Why do _you_ want me as King?"

"You'll be good for Hearts," Iwaizumi told him but Oikawa wasn't convinced.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I should be King. You're the Ace of Hearts. You've been leading this country for twelve years. You have to know it's more than Fates and destiny that rule a kingdom. For that matter, the King is supposed to be the leader not just of the kingdom but of their Suit. What makes you want to be led by me?"

Iwaizumi paused, finally thinking about his answer.

"...you get along well with Yahaba and Mad Dog," Iwaizumi responded eventually. "Your ideas about tariffs and budget reallocations were good."

Oikawa smiled, somewhat sadly. "Friendship and having a couple ideas about finances aren't enough, Iwa-chan." Oikawa decided to take some amount of pity on the Ace. "Here, I'll tell you what. If you can tell me a good enough reason on why you want me as your King, then I promise you that I'll actually consider it."

Iwaizumi immediately opened his mouth but Oikawa shook his head. "No, don't tell me anything right now. I won't believe anything you say if you're just saying it to make me stay and you won't think of anything good if that's your only reason. Think about it first, really think about it this time."

Not waiting for an agreement, Oikawa turned back to the sky to see that the sun had almost fully set.

"What about you?"

"Hmm," Oikawa questioned, not bothering to turn back..

"What makes you think you _shouldn't_ be King," Iwaizumi asked.

Now, Oikawa did glance back, only to find the Ace was staring at him with a determined expression that reminded him of a knight in a duel he was determined not to lose.

Oikawa sighed. "It's...it's not right for me. Being the King."

Iwaizumi frowned, surprise flickering across his face like embers across a night sky. "Do you think you wouldn't be able to lead?"

Oikawa shook his head. "No, it's not that. Not exactly. I have lead people."

"When," Iwaizumi broke in.

Oikawa waved his hand absently. "During the Civil War. My village is on the border. When the knights got pulled back to the capital, pirates from Futakuchi started attacking the village. It was right around when Futakuchi just put up the wall so they were strapped for resources and desperate enough not to care if it was just some small village."

"What did you do?" the Ace prompted.

"Anything," Oikawa answered flatly. "Everything. It was at the start of the war so I was-I don't know-thirteen? Fourteen, maybe? The knights had been training some of the teenagers in the village to fight. Nothing major just enough for when we had to travel on the roads. I...I was good at figuring out strategy and...and everyone was so _desperate_ so...so I ended up in charge of our defenses. And...anyway, we survived. We won enough and the Civil War finally ended so the pirates moved on. Maybe to Nohebi? I'm not sure."

"You led your entire village's defense," Iwaizumi demanded, "That's...impressive."

"No, it's not," Oikawa contradicted immediately. "It's desperation and wild hope at it's finest. They needed a leader and I was the only available option."

"Still, though," Iwaizumi said, pressing what he obviously believed was an advantage when Oikawa knew it was anything but. "You have experience with leadership, you have to be fairly good at it if your village wasn't destroyed. Why don't you won't to be King? Hearts could use you."

Oikawa clenched his teeth. "No. You're not listening. You're not getting it. I have been a leader before. I _know_ what it's like. What it takes. Hearts needs…" Oikawa shook his head, rolling to his feet and staring down at the Ace with every inch of conviction he had. "Listen. I love Hearts. I _love_ it. And I would give everything to it. I'd give my heart, my mind, my bones, my very _soul._ I'd give every second of my life to it and then try to find more time. But that's not enough to make me a good King.

"Then what does it make you," Iwaizumi questioned.

"Myself," Oikawa finally snapped. "You know me. I'm not nice. I'm not patient. I'm definitely not nice or patient enough for the kind of diplomacy needed as King." Oikawa took a deep breath. "I don't...I don't care what Fates say. I don't care about destiny. I know myself better than they do. And if...if Heats needs me, then it sure isn't as a King. If Hearts needs a King? Someone to sit in a stuffy seat and hold their tongue through meetings? Someone to rule? Then, no, that's not me and it never will be me. And that's not going to change. Mark or no Mark."

Breathing heavily, Oikawa twisted his head to look up to the sky before he could so much as register Iwaizumi's reaction.

The sun had fully set and the night was lit by stars-maybe not as many as in his village but still…

"You were right," Oikawa commented lightly. "The sky really is beautiful from here...I think though...I think I better go back inside."

Without looking back, Oikawa walked back to the roof latch that was still swung open. Before dropping down, he took one final look at the Ace.

Iwaizumi wasn't looking at him, face still tilted silently at the sky.

Oikawa smiled and pretended his chest didn't ache.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Iwa-chan. Good night."

ooooooo

"Back again," a voice called out and Suga looked up from his usual bench in the garden.

The Queen smiled upon seeing the Captain-but even Suga himself could tell the smile looked tense and wane.

Daichi declined from commenting. "You know I think flower viewing tends to be best when you can actually see them."

Suga let out a surprised laugh, looking up to the moon. "I always thought it was kind of beautiful to see how they look under a full moon."

Daichi smiled softly. "So, that's why you're out here so late? Simply for the view?"

Suga looked down ruefully. So, not declining from comment just leading into it.

"It's been...a rather busy day," Suga admitted, forcing himself not to think of being woken up to see the bloody body of a friend, not to think of the dozens of moments where he didn't think his magic would be enough to save him, not to think of the near assassinations of two members of his Suit, not to think of the upcoming war.

He apparently wasn't doing a very good job as when he next looked up the Captain was frowning. "If you'd like to be left alone, My Queen…"

Without thought, Suga's hand shot out and grasped Daichi's wrist, keeping him from getting up.

The two men paused before Suga blushed, looking back down. "Stay please. My thoughts are the kind that prefer company."

Daichi nodded, sitting back down and Suga let go of his wrist and hoped Daichi would ignore the hesitation he had in letting go.

"Would you like to talk about it," Daichi asked gently. "As much as you can I mean."

Suga shook his head, directing his gaze to the flowers. "No, I just didn't want to be alone."

And he should have left it at that. Left it innocent. But, Suga was so tired and had come far too close lately to losing the people he cared about. The point was he should not have finished with, "And I prefer your company more than anyone's."

But he did.

Suga's head shot up immediately, nearly biting his tongue to keep in words already spoken. He turned to see Daichi's face was filled with a kind of bewilderment that was slowly edging toward tentative hope.

"I'm sorry," Suga said quickly. "I overstepped. I shouldn't have said that."

Daichi nodded, almost absently with the hope slowly edging into his eyes. "Did you mean it?"

Suga hesitated. "I shouldn't have said it regardless."

And Daichi laughed, a bit wildly and short. "If you meant it, then you have every right to say it."

"Every right doesn't make the act itself right," Suga responded and that caused Daichi to pause.

The Captain looked up, meeting Suga's eyes and holding the gaze for what felt like an eternity.

"Suga...Koushi, you have to know, right," Daichi whispered. "You have to know how I feel about you."

Suga swallowed. "I know...I know you...are fond of me."

"I'm in love with you, Koushi," Daichi corrected bluntly. "Don't mince words or try to downplay my feelings by calling it 'fondness'"

Suga's breath caught. "I wasn't trying to downplay your feelings. I was trying to protect them."

"From the truth," Daichi asked.

"Yes," Suga said sharply, heart beating loudly. "Because the truth is that it can never go anywhere and you need. You deserve to find someone else."

"There is no one else," Daichi told him, eyes burning into Suga's.

"Then, find someone," Suga said and somehow he'd even convinced his voice not to waver. "It can never work. I'm over a hundred years older than you."

Daichi shook his head. "No, you've just been my age for over a hundred years. You and I both know there's a difference there, even if it's not easy to define. And, more importantly, I'm adult who can make his own decisions on who's too old."

Suga sighed. "You're an adult who deserves someone who can devote themselves to you. Spades will always be my priority."

"And mine as well," Daichi countered easily. "If you ever said anything different than you wouldn't be the one I love."

"Daichi," Suga said, heart in his throat. "You can't love me. I'm not the one for you."

Daichi smiled, somewhat sadly. "I think it's somewhat late for that." he cleared his throat. "The question is do you love me?"

And Suga...Suga gave the only I answer he could. The only one that could be true while still dissuading Daichi from continuing.

"I can't."

 _Because 'I don't' would always be a lie._

Daichi jerked his head down, breaking Suga's gaze but not before the Queen saw his face fall.

A silence fell-too heavy and uncomfortable for the peaceful garden.

Finally Daichi let out a laugh that only sounded a bit forced. "Can't blame me for trying, I guess."

The Knight's Captain looked up and immediately his face contorted into a desperate expression that nearly broke Suga's heart.

"Don't cry, my Queen," he told him with a hint of desperation, reaching out a hand before abruptly stopping it. "The last thing I wanted to do was to make you unhappy."

It was only then that Suga noted the tears rolling slowly down his face. He scrubbed his face roughly on the side of his cloak.

Daichi was still staring at him with that same heartbreaking expression. Suga's nails bit into his hand, restraining a wish to smooth out the frown.

"I apologize," Daichi said softly, eyes once again meeting Suga's. "You came out here to get away from your thoughts and here I am just giving you more to think about."

"Please, don't apologize," Suga whispered fiercely. "Please, don't."

Daichi bowed his head, either in a gesture of respect or to hide his face Suga couldn't tell. He thought it perhaps might be both.

"I know you wished for company but I'm afraid I might not be the best choice at the moment, My Queen," the Captain commented ruefully. "I'll take my leave but only with your blessing."

And that...that was why Suga would never be able to say he didn't love Daichi. Because even when the Captain's heart was so obviously breaking, he'd put something silly like Suga's wish not to be alone above his own needs.

"I wish you a good night, Captain," Suga returned, voice proper to hide the emotions he could quite stip bare.

Daichi nodded, standing. "And I you."

And then he was gone, leaving Suga with the underlying smell of roses that hadn't grown in this garden for years.


	10. Chapter 10

_12 Years Prior_

 _Okay, so Hinata was willing to admit that this wasn't going quite as planned._

 _When Keishin had_ finally _told the thirteen year old that he was ready to go on his first solo spy mission, Hinata had been ecstatic...possibly too much considering Tsuki had threatened to smother him in his sleep if he didn't shut up about it._

 _Whatever, though, Tsuki was just jealous because he couldn't officially take over as Jack for at least another year. But, still, his first mission!_

 _Hinata had almost immediately told to Noya and Shimizu, both already allowed to go on small ones while Asahi was still learning about poisons. Shimizu had just smiled and reminded him to keep a cool head but Noya had been almost excited as Hinata himself and had enthusiastically gone over every detail of the mission with the younger boy._

 _The mission was supposed to go like this. Keishin had heard rumors that some of the local capital guards were taking bribes from a small time gang to allow mildly illegal goods to pass through without inspection. Hinata was supposed to find proof the information was accurate and report back to Keishin so he could plan out their next move._

 _It should have been fairly easy. The gang generally hung out at a bar over by the capital's lower west district. Hinata had already become a familiar face in the area thanks to making friends with the grandchildren of the neighboring baker, who luckily was the great uncle of one of the palace's top chefs. Hinata had proudly rubbed it in Tsuki's face that see, it really did pay to be friends with everyone._

 _Anyway, all Hinata needed to do was slip in grab a few papers that proved illegal goods were getting through and get out where he could easily avoid suspicion by just being a local kid looking for his friends._

 _Here was what had happened._

 _As neither Keishin or Hinata knew, the gang just happened to meet with the local guards every Wednesday afternoon to hand over the prerequisite bribes and go over that week's incoming shipments. The most obvious place for them to meet would, of course, be the bar that the gang knew was secure. It was supposed to be a peaceful meeting with all weapons left at the door with a neural party so the two groups could discuss matters without immediate fear of betrayal._

 _Also, not previously known was the amount of resentment between the head of the guards and the head of he gang because the guards were demanding more money as the numbers of goods increased._

 _What this resulted it was one angry gang leader; one pissed off leader of the guards; two groups crammed in a room and practically boiling for a fight; and one highly abused wooden table covered with a cheery yellow table cloth that seemed out of place based on the amount it had been banged on, rattled, and almost flipped over twice during the course of just one heated discussion._

 _Hinata was under said table._

 _Hinata was under the said table and still in his regular Hinata-the-palace-servant clothes and with a few sheets of the gang's last shipments that were highly suspicious in the kill on sight kind of way_

 _This...wasn't exactly Hinata's first choice._

 _The first part of the plan had gone well. He'd easily been able to slip into the back room of the bar, unseen, via a back window. He hadn't had any trouble finding the list of shipments at all, having been lid out on a side table in a matter that Hinata now knew was for the upcoming meeting but had at the time just assumed was oddly lucky. The plan had gone askew about the time Hinata had grabbed the sheets and then heard the tell tale creak of the door and Hinata had dived for the nearest cover-the table closest to the back room._

 _Which led Hinata to the present situation. He winced as the table shook again as the gang leader banged his fist on top._

" _We agreed to a flat rate," the man shouted._

 _Hinata briefly thought that if he died during his first ever mission, Tsuki would find a way to resurrect him just so he could mock him._

" _That was before you and yours started bringing in multiple wagons a week," the guard captain responded in a clipped tone. "People are getting suspicious."_

" _Well, isn't it your job to stop them from being suspicious," the gang leader retorted hotly._

" _Our job," the guard captain emphasized. "Is to not look too closely at any of your wagons. One or two wagons are easier to avoid checking than five. Bigger risk, bigger profit. We want a cut."_

 _The gang leader was silent for a moment. "How much?"_

" _Twenty five percent."_

 _The gang leader laughed harshly. "You're insane. We'd do five."_

" _You're the crazy one if you call that fair," the guard captain argued. "Twenty."_

" _Ten," the gang leader bit back._

" _Fifteen and you include the original flat rate on top of it."_

" _You'd drive us out of business." the gang leader yelled, swearing vehemently._

" _We're the only reason you have a business."_

" _Twelve percent and half the flat rate, that's the final offer. We can always pick up and move cities. I hear Clubs is nice in spring."_

 _The guard captain laughed. "Clubs wouldn't buy your cheap shit. We'll take twelve and half the flat rate. Show me last week's profits."_

Crap, _Hinata thought from under the table, looking down at the sheet he'd grabbed earlier._

 _Slowly-heart beating out of his chest-Hinata heard the gang leader stand up and walk to the side table._

 _There was a pause before a slightly more frantic sound of moving drawers and rustling papers._

" _Problem," the guard captain asked._

" _The fuckin' papers are gone," the gang leader swore._

" _Convenient," the guard captain remarked airily. "Well, then, I guess we can just take the percentage from last week's profits."_

" _Fuck no," the gang leader said vehemently. "We only brought in half the amount this week. You'd rob us."_

" _I'm pretty sure robbing people is your job," the captain shot back. "Consider it a down payment."_

 _There was a long pause that followed that Hinata assumed was a glaring match between the two men. Hinata took it as his chance to look around for a way out._

 _It was risky but he supposed he could just wait until the meeting was over and try to get out then but...oh, wait, no, he knew from surveillance that they usually cleaned up the bar late every afternoon. There's no way they wouldn't notice him hiding under the table._

 _Leaning his head on the ground, Hinata peaked from under the table to survey the room. Okay, bunch of angry tense guys who could kill him one handed. Check. The back room in tantalizing reach but still too far away to try slipping past everyone to make it. Check. An almost certainty of being caught and killed? Check but not very optimistic._

 _Hinata fought back a sigh. The only thing other than that was the guard captain's bag and that was basically useless._

 _...Wait._

 _A plan formed in Hinata's mind._

 _A kind of terrible one with a huge chance of backfiring, but a plan just the same._

 _Slowly, Hinata eased the papers out from under the table and slid them into the bag, leaving enough out to just be in view. Feelinging his heart hammering, Hinata moved quickly until finally he slid his fingers back under the table._

 _Now, all he had to do was wait until…_

" _No deal, we'll have to renegotiate. I'm not giving you what was seventy percent of our profit this week."_

 _The guard captain tapped his foot, almost hitting Hinata's hand. "Maybe we should renegotiate our entire bargain if you can't pay a simple one week fee."_

 _A hand slammed into the table again and Hinata took his chance, reaching out just enough to push the bag over, spilling it onto the floor._

 _For a second, Hinata thought that no one noticed and he gave up his only evidence. And then…_

" _Now, what's this?" Hinata saw a hand reach down and grab the papers off the ground._

" _I don't know how those got in my bag," the captain said firmly._

" _I think I do," the gang leader drawled. "I see your plan now. Tell me, exactly how many 'down payments' did you want us to make while you soaked up our profits...Captain?"_

" _You're talking nonsense," the captain spit out. "As if an honorable man like me would need to sink so low as to cheat scum."_

 _Hinata didn't see the punch that followed but he felt the table rattle and heard the distinct sound of a chair hitting the ground followed by a body._

 _What followed reminded Hinata of a crash of a waterfall-a stored amount of pressure breaking against the rocks. The entire bar room was thrown into chaos, guards and gang slamming into each other and knocking each other into the walls._

 _If Hinata was going to have a chance this was it._

 _His hand dove out from under the table, snatching the papers off the ground where they'd been dropped. He lifted up the other side of the table cloth where there was a clear shot between the table and the safety of the backroom. Sending a silent prayer that the men would stay distracted, Hinata sprinted as fast as he could while keeping low to the ground._

 _The next few seconds were the most terrifying of Hinata's life to date._

 _When he felt the solid wood of the back room's entrance, Hinata flung himself around and out of view and had a brief moment where he thought he was safe until-_

" _Hey, where'd those papers go!"_

 _Well, time to go._

 _The back room would certainly be one of the first places they checked, followed by the alley behind it._

 _Hinata jumped, scrambling on top of an empty crate to push off and out the small window-too small for any but a child to get through._

 _A second later, Hinata leaned on the wall outside and heard footsteps pounding into the room he'd just left._

 _Hinata didn't stop to listen further, vaulting onto the roof in a new move that Keishin had just showed him last week. He almost slipped, grabbing to hold onto the roof ledge while his legs swung and banged into the wall bellow._

" _Check outside!" a voice yelled._

 _Adrenaline gave Hinata the extra push he needed to try again, swinging onto the roof fully and keeping his balance. He quickly ducked behind a chimney as he heard the door of the back room bang open and three burly men look around the alley._

" _Try the street. Find those papers and find out what that was," one of them ordered._

 _Hinata waited until the footsteps banged out of the alley before letting out a very small sigh of relief. He took a moment just to catch his breath and reassure himself that he was still alive._

 _He looked down at the papers in his hands-all the proof that Keishin needed if Hinata's story alone wouldn't provide enough evidence._

 _Hinata smiled. He couldn't wait to tell Tsuki about this!_

 _ooooooo_

For once, not even Hinata's company was enough to distract Kageyama from his thoughts.

Not that the red head wasn't doing an admirable effort, prattling on about the latest antics of the knight guards while Kageyama stared blankly at his book. But not even Hinata's boundless enthusiasm could stop the ringing of the word through Kageyama's head.

 _War._

That was what Tsukishima had said at the meeting between the Card Suits. Hyakuzawa was preparing to launch a war.

Kageyama wasn't an idiot. He could read the signs that Tsukishima laid out, could see the Jack's logic. The stolen Marks, the defense plans of Diamonds, the attack on Spade's Ace. All of them even alone were acts of war together and with Tsukishima's logic behind them, war seemed inevitable.

And Kageyama might be naivete-he himself freely admitted he knew little outside of the palace walls-but he wouldn't do Spades the disservice of pretending the Jack was wrong, of pretending people wouldn't get hurt.

As for Spade's King? Well, Kageyama didn't know what he was supposed to do. He didn't know what he was supposed to be. He felt like there had to be some ideal of a King-one that he was sure to be failing at. Kageyama knew books, knew intricacies about tax law, or the boats most common for sea trading, or a million and one things that you could learn from a text but wouldn't get you an inch closer to the people he was supposed to lead.

Kageyama had never told anyone this but sometimes...more often than he'd admit even to himself...he'd lay wake in bed, staring at his right hand, at the calligraphy "K" in the middle. In those moments, he'd wonder why the letter hadn't disappeared. What value the Fates still thought that someone like Kageyama had for Spades.

In the darkest times-when the fear of failure hung a little too close, when someone looked at him with disappointment in their eyes, when his parents' death shrouded him like a cloak-he wanted the Mark to disappear. For the pressure to be lifted off of Kageyama's shoulders and be placed on someone more worthy of the burden. He was sure there were many more worthy.

But still the Mark remained. Still Kageyama had been deemed by the Fates as the one most worthy of being King of Spades.

If the Fates were real, Kageyama would ask them why.

"-yama? Kageyama," Hinata's voice broke through his musings.

"What," Kageyama asked, a bit too sharp.

Hinata rolled his eyes, getting up off the visitor couch and walking to Kageyama's desk. He stopped maybe a foot in front of him and Kageyama's breath caught as the shorter man reached a hand forward to Kageyama's face.

"I asked if you were feeling alright," Hinata said softy, his fingers coming to rest gently on Kageyama's forehead. "You don't seem like you have a fever."

"I'm fine," Kageyama said, shaking Hinata's hand off before a blush could heat his face.

Hinata shrugged, boosting himself up to sit on the desk rather than returning to the couch. "Just checking."

Kageyama looked at the servant and a bite of panic clenched his heart. "Why did you become Spades' courier?"

Because if there was a war coming, couriers were in almost as much danger as knights.

Hinata looked at him strangely. "Um, I don't know. Tsuki said they needed one and it seemed like a good as job as any. Let's me meet a lot of people, so that's cool."

"What if it was dangerous," Kageyama demanded. "Would you still do it?"

Now Hinata was looking downright bewildered. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Just answer the question," Kageyama muttered, looking down.

Hinata paused, giving him an assessing look before answering.

"Yeah, I mean of course I would," Hinata said. "It's for Spades, right? I'm sure if Spades wanted me to do something dangerous than it'd be something that really needed doing."

Hinata's widened. "Not that my job's that dangerous, of course! Because I'm, ah, just a simple palace servant and that's a perfectly boring-safe!-a perfectly safe job!"

Kageyama's brows furrowed but for the most part he ignored Hinata's usual bout of weirdness for his first answer.

"Do you think others think that," Kageyama asked. "Would they stay with the country even if it gets dangerous?"

 _With me,_ he thought but didn't add.

Hinata looked up and Kageyama's eyes met his like a magnet. Warm brown eyes capturing his attention and refusing to let go.

"I think," Hinata began softly, "people would go to the ends of the Earth to protect the things they love."

Kageyama's heart was beating loudly in his chest and he dearly hoped that the other man couldn't hear it.

For a second, Hinata held his position, staring at Kageyama with only a few hand breadths between them and Kageyama's mouth went dry because it looked like Hinata-

Was going to lean away with an easy smile.

"That's what I'd do anyway," he finished cheerfully. "Did that help?"

Kageyama nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak.

The King cleared his throat, gaining a hold of himself. "Thanks. Isn't it about time for lunch, yet?"

"You hungry," Hinata asked, standing up and putting more space between them.

Not really, but Kageyama could use a few minutes to get his stupid feelings back together. Especially since he was obviously going to be enclosed in a small room with Hinata for the foreseeable future.

"I can go grab a servant real quick," Hinata said, walking to the door.

"Why don't you just go grab the lunch," Kageyama called back.

Hinata laughed. "Cause then you'd be deprived of my wonderful company for longer. Duh!"

"You're the worst servant ever," Kageyama grumbled.

"Back in a bit," Hinata responded blithely, shutting the door behind him and giving Kageyama a few moments peace.

Kageyama sighed.

 _Go to the ends of the earth for something you loved, huh,_ Kageyama mused.

Hopefully, that meant Spades would be willing to deal with their King's leadership, too.

Part of Kageyama doubted it.

ooooooo

If asked, Oikawa would blatantly deny that he was avoiding the Ace.

Sure, maybe, they had seen each other a bit less since the whole conversation on the roof. And, yeah, maybe Oikawa had been hanging out with Yahaba or going out to the city a bit more. And, okay, there might have been that one time that Oikawa had heard Iwaizumi voice and bolted the other direction. But, all of that, was just because he was giving the Ace a chance to really think about how terrible Oikawa really would be ask King. Really, Oikawa was showing his patience and consideration of _Iwaizumi's_ feelings by not seeking him out to talk.

Besides, Oikawa was sure he'd end up talking to him soon either way now that he was entering his final week of the agreed to month.

He kicked a small rock as he turned down another city street. He wondered how that would go. The end of the month. When Oikawa finally had to dash Iwaizumi's hopes once and for all and tell him in no uncertain terms, that Oikawa would _never_ be the King of Hearts.

 _It should be easy_ , Oikawa thought consternated. He had told it to him enough before. Heck, he had screamed it at the Fate probably over a hundred times by now.

So, why did the thought of doing it now make Oikawa's chest feel so tight.

He was sure it had nothing to do with being scared of what Iwaizumi would say...or how it would feel to see the Ace finally give up on him.

It was just that...well, he was sure the Ace-that Iwaizumi would be disappointed. Probably, he'd make one final bid to get Oikawa to stay. Offer something to his village or remind him about the library or something. But, then, maybe he'd just accept it. Maybe, he'd realized that Oikawa was right and there was someone better out there. Maybe he'd be relieved to see Oikawa go.

Agitated, Oikawa ran a hand through his hair and consciously decided to focus on the city in front of him rather than his own worries.

He was in one of the less populated parts of the city this time-the residential areas rather than the bustling marketplace. This was obviously an older neighborhood by the looks of he buildings. If Oikawa looked closely enough, he could still see small signs of the Civil War marked on the buildings like scars. Cracks in the stone and plaster that looked like sword gouges. Black stains on some of the wood from hastily put out fire.

In contrast to its past, the neighborhood now looked calm with an easiness surrounding the few villagers that talked to each other in the street. The neighborhood was moving forward from their past-never able to erase the scars but finding their ways to live with them.

Oikawa took a deep breath, just looking at the neighborhood for a moment.

It was then that Oikawa saw a very recognizable head of hair, almost obscured by the entrance way of the building.

 _What's Mad Dog doing in..._ Oikawa paused to read the small sign in front of the building. _An orphanage?_

Oikawa watched from across the street as the Mage bid farewell to a middle aged man and woman that stood right in front of the orphanage's door. The couple waved to the younger man as Mad Dog sent back his own gruff approximation before stepping back down to the street.

Oikawa waited until the couple went back inside, closing the orphanage door, before he moved to intercept the Queen of Hearts.

"Hey, what are you doing here," Oikawa called, hurrying forward until he was right beside the other man.

Sometimes the best approach was the direct approach.

Or maybe not...as Mad Dog twisted around in shock before scowling at Oikawa, dark tendrils of smoke rising from his clenched hands.

Oikawa rolled his eyes. "Relax. It was just a question."

Mad Dog huffed, but his fist were no longer smoking so Oikawa took it as a good sign.

"I help out here sometimes," Mad Dog muttered, looking ahead instead of at Oikawa.

"Huh, that's cool," Oikawa said, making sure to keep his voice casual. "Didn't really take it for your scene."

"I like it," Mad Dog growled.

"And I'm sure they appreciate one of the Suit coming down to see them," Oikawa added.

Mad Dog grunted.

"Are you heading back to the palace," Oikawa asked and Mad Dog jerked his head in what Oikawa took as an affirmative. "Mind if I walk with you?"

"Whatever," Mad Dog bit back.

They walked in silence while Oikawa mentally debated on how far he could push his luck.

"So, you just randomly decided to start helping out an orphanage," Oikawa finally prompted.

"Is there something wrong with that," Mad Dog demanded, turning to glare.

Oikawa just smiled, not backing down but not pushing either. "Of course not."

Mad Dog turned away, muttering under his breath.

"What was that?" Oikawa asked.

"I said it reminded me of the orphanage I grew up in," Mad Dog grumbled, a speck more louder. "My mom runs a small one back in Kaiyo."

Oikawa hummed at the name of Heart's biggest port city. "That must've been an interesting childhood."

Mad Dog shrugged. "Never boring."

"Wasn't it hard to learn magic there," Oikawa asked, thinking of explosive fires and small wooden orphanages.

Mad Dog scratched his chin, contemplatively. "Not really, Kaiyo's got a pretty big public library and there's a lot of different mages that come through the port. It's not too hard to find people willing to show a kid a trick or two."

"I more meant with the whole fire and confined spaces with children," Oikawa commented idly.

"Oh." Mad Dog frowned and Oikawa glanced over to see a conflicted expression cross his face as if trying to decide something.

Finally, Mad Dog huffed, turning fully to Oikawa.

"Fire...look, fire's just energy," the Mage of Fire commented gruffly. "Right?"

Oikawa nodded, curious where this was going.

"And, with normal fire, that always just goes to heat and light," Mad Dog explained, rubbing the back of his head frustrated. "Ad depending on the fuel, sometimes the flame's hotter and brighter and sometimes it's not. But, it's always hot enough that it burns pretty much everything, yeah?"

Oikawa nodded again.

Mad Dog nodded, too-snapping his fingers so a small flame appeared in his hand. "But...with magic, you can change that. My fire, I can make something different. Change it up so the energy goes more to creating light than making it hot." The mage glanced at the small fire and as Oikawa watched, the fire shifted-changing until it was a small ball of pure bright light.

"Touch it," Mad Dog said, holding it out.

Mad Dog...didn't seem like he would try to set Oikawa on fire so Oikawa reasoned he'd trust him.

Oikawa touched the flame and surprisingly found it was only pleasantly warm-like a stone left under the sun-rather than the burning pain he half expected.

"That's...amazing," Oikawa breathed, looking back to the Mage.

Mad Dog looked down, grumbling. "Whatever. It's...it's just useful. Increasing the light uses less energy so the flame last longer without needing to burn more fuel."

 _Fire that when controlled, brings light without destruction,_ Oikawa mused. He wondered if the man realized what a fitting metaphor it was for the Mad Dog of Hearts himself.

"I drop back by my mom's place a couple times a year to make ones for them," Mad Dog commented, interrupting Oikawa's thoughts. "It's safer than having lanterns and candles by the kids."

"Your lights last that long," Oikawa said, surprised.

Mad Dog shrugged. "Yeah, I mean it depends how bright you want them. Mom generally likes softer light so those last awhile."

"Genius," Oikawa responded, partly to see Mad Dog's reaction.

Mad Dog growled. "Shut up. You sound like Yahaba."

The two continued to the palace, Oikawa every now and then asking another question about fire magic or the lights and Mad Dog answering with his normal gruff responses.

"There you are," a voice called out right after they got through the entrance.

They both looked up to see Yahaba coming down the stairs and glaring at Mad Dog.

"It was your day to do audiences and I couldn't find you," Yahaba accused, coming up to the Mage with hands held angrily on his hips. "I had to take over for you."

"I'm terrible with audiences," Mad Dog muttered. "I intimidate them."

Yahaba huffed. "I know that's why we only give you three hour sessions just for those who really need it."

"I'm sure you did it better than I would," Mad Dog rolled his eyes.

"Of course, I did," Yahaba smiled, preening slightly at the praise. "But that's not the point."

"The point is that I'm bad at them and you're not so there's nothing to worry about," Mad Dog argued.

Oikawa cut in before Yahaba could respond. "How were the audiences?"

Yahaba waved his hand, still not breaking his staring contest with Mad Dog. "They were fine. Easy even. Nothing of real import."

"Then, why are you complaining," Mad Dog huffed.

"I'm _complaining_ ," Yahaba said sharply. "Because they're an important experience for all Suit members. You don't see Iwaizumi complaining and he even did them the day after the war ended."

"Well, not really _the day_ after war," Oikawa commented, more to forestall the fast approaching argument than anything. "He wouldn't even have been in the capital yet."

Both the Jack and Queen of Hearts turned to stare at him in bewilderment.

"What?" Oikawa asked, slightly unnerved under the force of two twin stares. "I mean he'd still needed to hear that the war had ended and travel here, right?"

Granted, Oikawa's village was still fighting off the last of the raiders during the end of the war so they didn't really have that great communication between themselves and the capital. They hadn't even heard anything until three months later when a traveling merchant finally felt it safe to sale there and casually mentioned that the war was over and a new Ace had been crowned.

At the time, Oikawa had been less than impressed.

Yahaba tilted his head. "Iwaizumi was in the capital for the entire Civil War. Didn't you know that?"

Oikawa shook his head, confusion rather than denial. "I thought all the civilians fled the capital?"

"They did," Yahaba confirmed. "Iwaizumi wasn't a civilian, he was a squire. He came to the capital right before the war started and stayed through it to fight for the resistance."

"He Claimed his title during the war," Oikawa demanded, surprise making his voice louder than intended.

Yahaba winced and Mad Dog motioned them in to a room on the side of the hall.

"No, no," Yahaba sighed, peering at Oikawa as if he was a confounding set of numbers. "You really don't know how Iwaizumi Claimed his title?"

Oikawa shook his his head. "My village was...a little bit out of the loop I guess." He cleared his throat, looking at the Jack. "What happened?"

Yahaba bit his lip, hesitating. "Iwaizumi doesn't talk about it much but...some of the palace knights fought for the resistance, they were here when it happened." Yahaba took a breath. "Okay, so, Iwaizumi got to the palace to train as a knight like a month before the Jack and King were assassinated and the war kicked off." Yahaba grimaced. "I wasn't in the capital or anything but I'm sure you remember how everything was a confusing mess back before it came out that the Ace and Queen had been deemed unworthy?" Oikawa nodded. "Right, well apparently the castle was even more of a mess then. No one knew who to trust, the Queen was making increasingly dangerous political moves, the rest of Cards were being pushed out and ignored to hide the Ace and Queen's secret."

Yahaba waved a hand. "Anyway, so the secret finally came out and the resistance movement formed to dethrown the Ace and Queen. That's when the city civilians were-well, I want to say evacuated but it's not like Suit did anything-the point was almost all the civilians fled the city and it became an complete war zone."

"Iwaizumi stayed" Oikawa breathed, realigning the facts in his head and trying to imagine what that must've been like for the young teenager.

Yahaba nodded grimly. "Not only did he stay, he became one of the main fighters for the resistance," Yahaba sighed. "As I'm sure you know Iwaizumi's never been particular bad with a sword," Mad Dog snorted. "He didn't tell anyone he was the future Ace or anything. Always kept his mark hidden."

"Would've been suicide not to," Mad Dog grumbled and Yahaba nodded.

"Exactly, the old Queen and Ace would've killed him on sight if they knew," Yahaba agreed. "Iwaizumi stayed and he fought. The Queen, you probably heard, was killed roughly a year before the war ended but the old Ace held onto power until the bitter end." He looked at Oikawa. "You know about the Ace's Final Stand?"

"Vaguely," Oikawa answered, still caught up in the story.

"Well, about seven of the resistance fighters were finally able to ambush him in the palace and kill him though not before he took out four of them," Yahaba paused. "I heard a rumor that Iwaizumi was one of the seven but he's never talked about it and I've never quite had the nerve to ask."

Mad Dog grunted in agreement.

"Anyway, the Queen and Ace were both finally dead, right, and everything should have been fairly easy," Yahaba continued. "And it was because we know how it came out but...back then, no one knew what was going to happen. Hearts was entirely without a Suit, the rest of the Cards kingdom had been shut out for years, no one knew who was leading the city."

"Except Iwaizumi," Oikawa added softly, putting the pieces together.

"Yeah," Yahaba nodded excitedly. "Except Iwaizumi. So, no one really knows what to do, everyone's starting to panic, and then suddenly this fifteen year old stands up in the middle of the courtyard and Claims his title as Ace. And, the Claiming magic for Hearts tends to be a little...dramatic."

"It's the fire," Mad Dog put in.

Yahaba inclined his head in agreement. "Apparently, it looked like some kind of sign from the Fates."

"Then...," Oikawa frowned, shut his mouth and started again. "Iwaizumi Claimed his title to prevent further bloodshed."

Yahaba frowned back in confusion, Mad Dog echoing the expression.

"What do you mean," the Jack asked.

"Hearts...countries can't go without a leader for long," Oikawa started, words coming slowly as he tried to organize his own thoughts. "If none of the Suit could take over, there'd be no power structure." Oikawa knew deeply what that would cost. "No leadership means no protection. Hearts would either have destroyed itself from the inside out finding a new leader or...one of the other countries would have invaded while we were still weak. Iwaizumi did it to stop another war."

Yahaba leaned back, contemplative. "I...I don't think I ever thought of it like that. You're right, I mean but," Yahaba smiled ruefully. "I guess it's rather easy to get caught up in all the Hero of Hearts stuff that followed after. That's what I heard the most."

Mad Dog nodded.

"That title's just from when he helped rebuild the government, right," Oikawa asked, feeling the prickle of old resentment that the rebuild never went far enough to actually address the real problems.

"Probably from rebuilding the Knights of Hearts more than the government," Yahaba corrected. "People tend to focus more on the flash than the politics. Back then, rebuilding our defense and the relationships with the other Card Suits was his main priority."

"Stability," Oikawa muttered under his breath.

"What was that," Yahaba asked curiously.

Oikawa shook his head. "I think….I think I need to go and, um, well think about this some more. Thank you for the story."

Yahaba shrugged. "No problem. It's Heart's history, it's yours as much as it is mine."

Oikawa nodded, waving a goodbye before sliding out the door and back to the hallway.

Oikawa had the odd sense of being below deck in the middle of a storm-waiting out the worst of the shifts before coming back up to see the world changed.

He just wasn't quite sure what this changed world would mean.

ooooooo

"I don't want to take a break, though!" Hinata complained in what would have been a much more effective manner if it hadn't been immediately followed by a loud yawn.

Tsuki merely raised an eyebrow, leaning on his desk with his arms folded.

"It's too dangerous," Hinata argued.

"It's more dangerous to let two highly trained, experienced, well-rested spies take a couple of shifts than it is to have one, who's basically falling asleep on his feet?" Tsuki asked skeptically. "It's been almost two straight days, Hinata. _Take a break._ "

Hinata slumped in the office visiting chair.

"But, don't Shimizu and Asahi want to stay with Noya?" Hinata asked, turning puppy dog eyes on Tsuki that the Jack merely glared at. "I'm not going to take them away while Noya's still recovering."

Tsuki was unimpressed. "Noya specifically asked me to give them a mission because, and I'm quoting, 'their hovering's driving me insane'. They could use a break from playing nursemaid, too."

Hinata fidgeted. "Any leads, yet?"

Tsuki shrugged. "Well, we still have the guy that Shimizu tracked down a week ago-the one that gave the original information that led to the set up. But, I believed him when he says he doesn't know anything except some people mentioning the details in a bar."

"Why do you believe him," Hinata asked curiously.

Tsuki smirked. "Simple. He's a coward. No way he'd risk knowingly giving me false information that led to the death of the Ace. It would mean his life." Tsuki shifted his his chair. "Speaking of which, I think we should cut down on the number of missions in city for a while."

Hinata frowned. "Why? You think the assassin isn't in the capital?"

"Actually, I'm almost sure they are somewhere in the city," Tsuki corrected. "I'm going to start sending Asahi and Shimizu-out of uniform-to check into a couple of places. My main reason for cutting missions is that I'm pretty sure they think you're dead. Well, the Ace of Spades you anyway."

"They think Noya died?" Hinata shuddered a bit at the last word.

"Almost certain," Tsuki nodded. "There's a few rumors going around the city-nothing to worry about yet. Plus, with the injuries Noya sustained, it really is more than a minor miracle that he is still alive. I'm sure the assassin thinks that we're simply holding off on formally announcing the death until after the festival. To cut down panic, possibly."

"Huh," Hinata said, leaning back in his chair. "That's….weird to think about but I guess I get the logic." Hinata shrugged. "I'm fine with cutting back on the missions in city; I'm spending the majority of my time guarding Kageyama anyway."

"After your break, of course," Tsuki said idly.

Hinata grimaced.

"You're not getting out of it," the Jack returned firmly.

Hinata sighed, holding up a full hand to illustrate. "Five. I've stopped five assassination attempts just in the past week and a half since Noya was stabbed.

Tsuki hummed under his breath. "Another reason to take a break. You're overworking yourself." Tsuki frowned, a thought occurring. "By the way, did Kageyama actually notice any of these assassins?"

Hinata's face took on an affronted edge. "Of course not! Geeze, Tsuki, what kind of novice do you take me for?"

Tsuki rolled his eyes. "...My mistake. So, essentially, you've been guarding the King to an obsessive level-"

"Well, obsessive is a strong word."

"Stayed up for almost forty-eight hours" Tsuki continued with a quelling glare. "Stopped multiple assassination attempts in the week before that, and maintained your role as a servant on top of that. _Hinata, take a break_."

Hinata scrunched up his face and Tsuki huffed.

"Hinata, yes, I know you _could_ probably do at least another day before you literally pass out on your feet, but you don't _need to,_ " Tsuki said, emphasizing this with an eyeroll. "Go take a full night off. Get some sleep. Or do you want to risk the King's life because your exhaustion makes you miss something."

Hinata paused before letting out a long heavy sigh. "That was a low blow."

"Thank you," Tsuki smiled.

Hinata rolled his shoulders, standing up. "...I'll take a break."

"I'm glad a modicum of your better reason has not been eaten away by sleep deprivation," Tsuki returned.

Hinata let out something that was in between a huff and a laugh. "Only for one night though. Send someone to wake me up after five hours."

"Seven," Tsuki countered.

Hinata opened his mouth to protest before Tsuki added, "If you argue, I'm not sending anyone for nine."

Hinata wisely closed his mouth. For nothing apparently, as immediately after it opened again n a wide yawn.

"Go to sleep," Tsuki ordered, pointing at the door.

Hinata gave him a sheepish smile before nodding. "Night, Tsuki."

Tsuki waved him off and Hinata left the office, heading to his room a couple of halls over

He really hoped that Tsuki actually would send someone to wake him up in seven hours. More than that, since the person he was most likely to send was Yachi, he hoped that the blonde assistant would actually listen to wake him up. Hinata...Hinata might possibly be overworking himself a tiny bit following Noya's attempted assassination. Especially, once they found that Kageyama's food at been poisoned a second time. Now, they were running not _all_ of the Suits meals passed Asahi's poison testing before letting them be served.

Hinata didn't think Kageyama had noticed yet that his food was showing up about an hour later than normal. In fact, the King seemed distracted as of late. Today's conversation proving it further. Hinata felt fairly sure that the strangeness was due to Kageyama concern about the possibility of war from Hyakuzawa but he couldn't quite piece together what it was exactly that had Kageyama the most bothered. He supposed it could be the idea of war at all, but Kageyama's distraction seemed more specific, a personal concern of the King.

Hinata yawned again and grimaced. He'd try again tomorrow to see what was bothering Kageyama. He had time.

Finally reaching his room, he pulled open the heavy door to see his dark cozy bedroom. His unkempt bed incredibly tempting and Hinata's tired eyes zeroed in on it, moving inside and closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door shut, a hand reached around Hinata's neck-strangling him back against the room's wall. Before Hinata's eyes could adjust, a sack was thrown over his head and the distinct scent of chloroform filled Hinata's nose. Hinata closed his mouth and tried not to breathe.

On reflex, Hinata slammed his head back and felt something crunch behind him.

A loud grunt echoed followed by a swear and the arm around Hinata's neck loosened but not enough for him to break it.

"Bastard broke my nose!" a deep voice garbled nasally through what Hinata assumed was blood. Hinata threw back an elbow at the same time bringing his boot down on a foot behind him.

"Fuck!" the voice screamed and the arms around Hinata tightened as he struggled.

Hinata's vision starting to go black around the edges

"He's half your size, moron!" a new voice called from in front of him and Hinata weakly leveraged himself on the restraining arm to send out a wild kick, brushing against something but not quite connecting."

"Help me!" the first man demanded.

Through what felt like a deep pool of water, Hinata heard a sigh.

"I guess I have to do everything."

Hinata felt a muddled shot of adrenaline before something heavy hit the side of his head and everything went black.

ooooooo

A/N: Whoah, still made it in on time (okay, judging on my current time zone). Hope you guys enjoy! Also, as a note, not the next Saturday but the next (August 25), I'm taking a week off from this posting while I get back in the swing of school. After that week, posting will continue like normal. Last, thank you again for all the support. You guys are the best!


	11. Chapter 11

_8 Years Prior_

 _Sixteen year old Tsukishima sat reading idly on one of the palace's veranda when a knife unsurprisingly found itself laying on his throat._

 _Tsukishima yawned. "Fail."_

" _What do you mean 'Fail'," Hinata demanded, stepping out of the shadows. "There's no way you saw me!"_

" _Saw you when you scaled down the left guard tower." The Jack tsked. "Really, Hinata, you're going to have to try better than that when you go on real assassinations."_

 _Hinata glared. "I was stationed from half a mile away, it's broad daylight, and you knew I was coming."_

" _Excuses," Tsukishima replied, decidedly not mentioning that the split second where he'd caught Hinata's shadow had been the_ only _thing that gave away Hinata's position. No reason for the Ace to get complacent after all._

 _Hinata huffed, sitting down on the ground next to Tsukishima's chair. He was without the normal mask for once since the sight of Hinata the servant would cause much less panic than an all black figure advancing on the Jack._

" _Whatcha reading," Hinata asked, glancing up at Tsukishima._

" _A letter from Takeda," the Jack said, holding it up for Hinata to see. "He and Keishin apparently found someone they'd like me to consider for an assistant. She'll be at the palace by the end of the week."_

" _Are they coming, too?" Hinata asked excitedly._

" _No," Tsukishima said, swallowing his own disappointment._

 _Takeda, their guardian and the former Jack of Spades, had retired roughly a year earlier, allowing Tsukishima to take over the role. He and Keishin had moved to one of Spades' northern valleys where Takeda could work of his various science projects unimpeded by also running a government. Based on the letter, both men were quite happy but that didn't stop either Hinata or Tsukishima from missing their former guardian and the spy teacher._

" _He did say they'd visit for the summer festival," Tsukishima added. "Apparently, he currently has too many experiments that would explode without constant supervision."_

 _Hinata nodded before frowning. "I didn't know you were looking for an assistant."_

" _I'm not," Tsukishima answered firmly. "But because Takeda sent her, I suppose I'll meet her and reject her in person."_

 _Hinata rolled his eyes. "Tsuki, at least think about it!"_

 _Tsukishima snorted in clear dismissal before turning back to the letter._

" _You know Takeda's just going to send her again if you reject her for no reason," Hinata argued._

" _I'm sure I'll find some reason," Tsukishima countered._

" _Ugh, you're the worst," Hinata groaned, falling back to lay on the stone floor. "Fine but I'm going with you to meet them. At least then I can see if it's a_ fair _reason."_

" _No."_

" _Yes, I'll even go as a servant so it's not suspicious."_

" _In what way is a palace servant sitting in on interviews not suspicious?"_

 _Hinata frowned, thinking. "I'll hold a food platter or something so it looks like I'm serving you."_

 _Tsukishima sighed, not bothering to respond._

" _If you say 'no', I'll just sneak in anyway," Hinata reminded him._

" _...Fine," Tsukishima bit out, more to end the conversation than anything._

 _Hinata smiled. "Yay! What's their name?"_

" _Yachi Hitoka," Tsukishima said flatly. "But don't bothering remembering it. She's not staying."_

" _We'll see about that," Hinata said, standing up and brushing off the dirt. "Now, help me practice again. I want to see if I can get all the way here without you seeing."_

 _Tsukishima nodded and Hinata grinned before disappearing back into the shadows._

 _ooooooo_

"Have either of you seen Hinata," Tsukishima demanded, barging into the Queen's room.

Yachi and Suga looked up from the festival preparation, twin expressions of confusion painting their faces.

"I thought he was with you," Yachi frowned. "He wasn't in his room when I went to wake him up so I figured he'd already gotten up and gone to your office to check in."

"I haven't seen him since last night," Tsukishima huffed. "I need to go over the new mission outlines with him before I pass it over to Shimizu and Asahi."

"I supposed he could have been in the latrine or something when I stopped by." Yachi shrugged.

Suga gave a rueful smile. "Don't look at me. Only time I've seen him this week is when I go to check in on Kageyama." The Queen paused. "You don't think he already went up to take over for Shimizu, do you?"

Tsukishima shook his head. "Even Hinata not idiotically shortsighted enough to go for guard duty without checking in first." The Jack sighed. "Maybe a miracle happened and he went back to sleep after Yachi missed him."

Both Suga and Yachi sent him skeptical looks at that suggestion.

"I'll go check his room again," Tsukishima told them. "If he comes by here or something, send him over to my office."

"Will do," Yachi responded cheerfully.

Tsukishima strode down from north side of the castle back to the east, where Hinata's small room was located just a floor down from the Jack's office.

"HINATA! GET UP!" Tsukishima banged on the door, taking a bit of relish in _Hinata's_ private quarters being disturbed for once instead of his.

After yelling and banging on the door didn't get the intended result of an annoyed Ace of Spades, Tsukishima sighed and threw open the door.

"How deep are you asleep," he muttered before realizing that Hinata was in fact _not_ in the room at all.

Tsukishima frowned, looking at the empty unmade bed and the various clothes scattered around the room.

"That idiot _better_ not have gone to his shift without checking in first," Tsukishima grimaced, looking around at the unkempt state of his contemporary's quarters and felt a silent wave of gratitude that they no longer shared a room.

It was then that the Jack noted something peculiar laying among the rubbish.

Perplexed, Tsukishima picked up what looked to be a small plain brown burlap sack.

 _Why does Hinata even have this_ , Tsukishima rolled his eyes before a faint but distinctive smell caught his nose.

Ignoring the rising sense of foreboding, the Jack of Spades waved the bag in front of him, careful not to inhale too deeply.

 _Chloroform._

The bed creaked as Tsukishima sat down heavily, for once ignoring its messy state. He blinked rapidly, his brain compiling information faster than he was choosing to accept it.

 _Hinata was...The Ace of Spades was gone._

 _ooooooo_

A good number of miles away, Hinata was abruptly woken by a bucket of water thrown in his face.

"Time to wake up!"

The Ace spluttered and coughed into alertness, blinking his eyes and trying to assess his surroundings as quick as his pounding head would allow.

The first thing he saw was a large muscled and scarred man with a nose a dark purple color that showed it had been recently broken. Hazily, Hinata vaguely remembered that might have something to do with the dark angry glare he was sporting for Hinata.

Speaking of himself, Hinata seemed to be secured to some kind of beam-wooden, judging by how the texture felt around the back of his neck and what small parts he could feel with his hands. His captors had clearly gone a bit overboard in tying him up-though perhaps not given his title-with his arms pulled around the sides of the beam and hands secured in some kind of knot that would take Hinata at least a few minutes to work out let alone untie. He also had rope winding around his neck, securing his upper body while some more was wrapped around his waist. Last, his ankles were tied together as he could see from where he sat on a dirt floor.

Hinata glanced around, taking in the building he'd been taken to. By the looks of it, it was an old wooden warehouse-one of the many used for storage out by the docks. That was...not terrible but slightly unfortunate. At least it meant he was probably still close to the city but it did severely cut back on the number of people who would hear him if he tried calling for help-if his captors wouldn't immediately kill him for doing so.

As if reading his thoughts, the man in front of him smirked. "There's no one around here for miles. No one to hear while we ask you a few questions."

"Questions," Hinata asked, his voice coming out a bit choked around the rope.

Frankly, Hinata was a bit surprised that they hadn't already killed him. Even tied up, he was still the Ace of Spades-a dangerous captive to have in any circumstances. He had vaguely thought they might be trying to ransom him but, if they were working for Hyakuzawa-and really, what were the odds that they weren't?-it didn't really make sense to ransom someone you tried to assassinate earlier. Trying to get information out of him kind of made sense if you squinted. Though, it wasn't the best plan of course because…

"I'm not telling you anything," Hinata said flatly, offering back as much of a glare as he could muster while feeling like his brain was literally drumming.

"I'm not sure you understand your situation," the man said, leaning closer until Hinata's face was filled with his bad breath. "No one's coming for you. I doubt they've even noticed you're gone, let alone sent someone out to look for someone as lowly as you. I can assure you that your Suit has much bigger things on their mind. The Ace of Spades is dead and even if he wasn't, there's no way he'd have a chance of finding you."

Hinata's head shot up, confused. _Did he just say...did he think…_

"Sorry, what did you say," Hinata asked. "About the Ace?"

The man growled. "Your Ace is dead. We killed him weeks ago. Your Suit is still trying to hide it."

Hinata blinked. They...they didn't know he was the Ace? They thought the Ace was dead.

 _Hey, wait a second, if I'm not here because I'm the Ace then-_

"Why am I here," Hinata demanded.

In retrospect, he should have expected the punch to the face-not that there was much he could do about it.

"Don't play games," the man shouted into his face. "We know your the King's servant! Tell us why none of our assassination attempts have gotten through!"

Hinata winced, the left side of his face throbbing. Of course, they captured him because he was close to the guy they were trying to kill. In a vague sense, as Hinata tried to readjust, he wondered if maybe they _should_ have paid more heed to Kageyama's paranoia of people getting close. But really, who thought Hinata the servant would be in more trouble than Hinata the Ace?

"I," Hinata had to stop, sticking his head out as far as it would go to spit some blood out on the floor. "I'll never betray my King."

The man growled, pulling back a fist before another wiry man stepped up from behind and caught it.

"Relax, Onishi," the new man said, turning an assessing eye on Hinata. "Let him stew a bit and think about his options. He won't do much good if you beat him to death before he can even talk."

The man, Onishi, huffed. "Fine." He glared down at Hinata. "Think about how long you want your life to be. Because I can promise that if you don't give us what we want, it will be a _very short_ one."

Onishi held his gaze to let his meaning sink in before he finally backed off, turning to his partner. "Sano! When's Iwasaki getting back?"

Sano, the wiry man, shrugged. "Said something about being more direct and took off."

Hinata bowed his head, trying to look properly hopeless while keeping his eyes trained on the men as they went to sit at a small table in the corner of the warehouse, a deck of cards laid out between them.

Once the two men appeared to be more focused on their card game, Hinata silently evaluated his options. He could probably...no, he could definitely get out of the ropes around his hands given a few minutes. He'd already gotten them lose during his conversation with the men. Thr rope around his neck, waist, and feet would be a bigger problem. Not really because they'd be any more difficult but because it would be practically impossible to get through all of them without the men in the same room noticing. And that would mean Hinata's death.

He could wait. Judging by his internal clock, it was early afternoon and Hinata could theoretically wait until night. But his instincts told him that the men wouldn't let him live that long, especially if he wasn't giving them information. Frankly, Hinata assumed that even if he did give them something to go on-even if he faked the information-he still wouldn't live past sunset. Assassins didn't like loose ends.

Hinata...wasn't really seeing a way out of this but he was the Ace of Spades and he wasn't worthy of his title if he was giving up this easy. Not to mention, that giving up would mean his death and leaving Suga, Tsuki, and Kageyama alone to deal with a coming war.

 _Never._ Maybe...maybe Hinata could try to fight them. He didn't think he'd get further than his hands and his waist before they noticed but maybe...that would be enough.

"You do look like you're in trouble, don't you," a cheery voice sounded right beside his ear and Hinata jerked.

A man, who looked around Hinata's age and with bright red spiky hair, laughed at him from where he crouched beside him.

Wow, Hinata's headache must be worse than he thought if he didn't notice a new captor literally right next to him.

"I'm still not telling you anything," Hinata coughed, trying to subtly shift his wrist to hide that that his hands were basically free.

"Oh, don't worry," the man smiled. "I'm not with those guys. In fact," the man's smile widened and he leaned closer, "what would you say if I told you that you were the only one in this room who could see and hear me?"

Hinata clearly needed to reevaluate how bad his concussion was.

The man laughed at his confusion. "Oh, you little Ace are adorable. And so entertaining!"

Before, Hinata could do anything more than widen his eyes, the man shot a hand out and covered his mouth.

"Careful, they can't hear me but they can still hear you," the man said, wagging a finger. "Allow me to introduce myself," the man stood up and bowed, swinging his arm out in a flourish. "I'm Tendou, though you would know me better as Chaos."

Hinata stared blankly for a solid five seconds. "...you mean like the Fate?"

"Exactly like the Fate," Tendou grinned. "In fact, not even _like,_ I'm _the_ Fate. Personification of Chaos, creator of Cards, excellent poker player, blah, blah, blah."

Hinata was suddenly not sure if he was hallucinating this or if this was actually happening. It wasn't exactly everyday that the mythical creator of your country popped up while you were tied to a pole. Wait, a second, maybe it was _because_ of that second part.

"Aren't you only supposed to show up in the most dire of circumstances," Hinata gulped. "Am I...am I dying? Like from the concussion or something?"

He had certainly considered it as a likely possibility but it was a little different when a Fate showed up to confirm it.

"Pft, no, you're fine," the Fate waved a hand airily. "I was just bored and thought I'd drop by." He rolled his eyes. "And I'm not sure about 'dire'. Ushijima's been basically stalking a guy for a decade so I think I'm allowed to have a bit of fun, too."

"Ushijima?" Hinata asked hesitantly.

"Oh, yeah, that's Order," Tendou explained, bending down to look at the ropes around Hinata's neck. "Don't worry about him. I'm the _much_ more fun Fate. Trust me." The personification of Chaos tilted his head. "Well, unless you get him drunk, then it's a real party."

Hinata wisely chose to stay silent before the Fate said anything more confusing.

Tendou whistled. "They've got you tied up pretty well, don't they?"

"Can you help me," Hinata asked hopefully.

"Duh, of course, why else would I be here," Tendou said, rolling his eyes.

Hinata let out a relieved sigh. "Are you going to like use your magic to make me appear back at the castle or something?"

Tendou shook his head firmly. "Definitely not. That's wayyyy too boring." He paused. "I mean...I guess I _could_ but where would be the fun in that?"

Hinata opened his mouth to argue but Tendou smirked and started again. "You just sit tight and wait for my signal. Kay, short stuff?" The Fate glanced down again. "Oh, you might want to work on those ropes around your waist, too. It be a real bummer if I went through all of this just to see you killed."

With that, the Fate popped out of existence and Hinata was left alone with his own jumbled thoughts. Somehow, Hinata always thought that the Fates were a little bit more...reserved. Like some kind of wise old grandparents or something.

Still, Hinata frantically began to work on the rope around his waist because he really didn't think Tendou was joking about being killed.

Hinata had just gotten the ropes loose enough to slip off when-

"HEY!" Onishi yelled. "WHAT ARE YOU UP TO OVER THERE!"

 _Shit._ Hinata really hoped the Fate actually had a plan.

Sano pushed off from the table brandishing a small knife and walking ominously toward Hinata.

Just when Sano was about a foot away, Hinata saw Tendou pop back into being right beside him and stuck out a foot, catching Sano's leg.

The man went down hard, knife spinning out of his hand and flying right towards Hinata's face.

Hinata barely had time to take a breath before the knife planted himself into the wood, less than an inch away from Hinata's neck and directly through the rope securing it.

He didn't give have time to freak out about how close his neck had come to being shish kebabed, shooting his free hands up to yank the knife out of the wood and free his neck. Frantically, Hinata bent down to the last bit of rope around his legs and had just gotten the knife close when he was slammed hard back into the pole by Sano.

Only from hard earned experience was Hinata able to keep hold of the knife, his other hand coming out to punch Sano hard across the face and knock the older man off.

Sano groaned, blinking disoriented.  
"DUCK!" Tendou shouted and Hinata complied instantly.

His entire body hitting the dirt and Hinata heard a _whoosh_ as Onishi swung an ax an inch above his head.

"Nice One," the Fate called out and Hinata ignored him, focusing on rolling away from Onishi's next swing.

The ax hit the dirt next to Hinata and the Ace tried to get into a crouch before Onishi could ready another swing. Something that would have been a lot easier if his legs were unbound.

"Kill him, Onishi!" Sano yelled and Hinata saw the other man holding his cheek and raising himself on two unsteady feet.

Onishi swung again and Hinata did a half leap half squat to the side, catching the thick beam and levering himself around it to use as a shield.

Seconds after Hinata had ducked to the ground behind the beam, Onishi's next swing hit right into the middle of the wood, sinking a solid half a foot with a dull _thunk!_

Growling, Onishi tried to lever the ax out of the wood but Hinata moved before he could, striking out with the knife in one movement.

Onishi's hand slipped from the ax handle and down to his leg, face going quickly white as his leg's femoral artery soaked the dirt floor. The man had just enough time to realize what had happened and glance back at Hinata with wide eyes before his eyes rolled back and his body hit the floor heavily.

"Onishi!" Sano screamed. During Hinata's fight, the other man had made his way back to the table and had grabbed a sword from somewhere.

When he saw Hinata looking at him, Sano met his eyes and glared. "You'll pay for that, you little shit."

The mercenary ran full front at Hinata, the sword held high over his head and poised for what was sure to be a messy blow to Hinata's neck.

Hinata let out a small sigh, pulling back his own knife before sending in spinning.

Sano's body fell next to Onishi's, a knife embedded in the exact middle of his forehead and the sword clanging as it hit the ground.

Hinata reached down and quietly loosened the rope around his legs enough to slip out.

Beside him, Tendou let out a low whistle.

"See, I knew you'd be interesting," the Fate grinned. "Nice throw back there."

"Thanks," Hinata shrugged. It was kind of an easy target when the man was running towards him like that.

Hinata watched as Tendou walked over to the ax still embedded deep in the wooden beam and casually flicked it.

"Thanks for you help, too," Hinata rushed out, remembering that this guy was literally the very essence behind the magic of Cards. "I'm honored by your assistance."

"Aww," Tendou gushed, turning to him. "Entertaining and polite. I'm totally rubbing this in Ushijima's face next time I see him." He hummed thoughtfully and gave Hinata a cheery smile. "By the way, you might want to get out of here."

"Yeah," Hinata grimaced. "Tsuki and Suga are probably going crazy if they've realized I'm gone….Not to mention, Yachi."

"Actually," Tendou grinned. "I mean because this entire buildings going to collapse any second. But that too, I guess."

"...what," Hinata laughed awkwardly, wondering if he misheard.

Tendou jerked a thumb at the beam, sawed halfway by the ax. "Oh, this is the major support beam for this place. With me and my chaotic magic here, I give it...maybe a minute before the whole building goes down." Tendou sent him one last grin as Hinata's jaw gaped open. "Now, I'll be watching so stay interesting, would ya?"

The last syllable had barely reached Hinata's ears before the spy found himself alone in the warehouse that had just started to creak ominously

Hinata didn't stay for long.

At full sprint, Hinata bolted as fast as his legs could possibly go, not even pausing to survey the warehouse. His shoes clacked hard against the dirt as Hinata threw open the door, squinting briefly in the afternoon sun to see a dock overhanging a river in front of him. Hinata sprinted off the dock and jumped-hitting the water just as a loud _snap_ sounded behind him.

Under the water, Hinata covered his ears an used the dock for cover as pieces of wood splashed into the water all around him.

When Hinata finally dared poke his head up and look back over the dock behind him, all that was left of the warehouse was a large pile of broken wood and shattered glass.

Hinata let out a slow shaky breath and just to himself thought that, in the future, maybe getting help from the personification of Chaos should not be his first option.

ooooooo

Shortly after dinner, Iwaizumi retired back to his private chambers to think.

Usually, Iwaizumi was hardly ever in his room between training the Knights of Hearts and running the kingdom. But for the last week or so, the Ace had found himself in his room more and more, carefully turning over the conversation he'd had with his King-with Oikawa.

 _Why do you want me to be King?_

That was the question that Iwaizumi had to answer if he wanted even a chance of having Oikawa stay.

Iwaizumi always thought of himself as a rather straightforward guy-never one to try to over complicate a matter when the simplest answer would do. He had quickly come to realize that this was a key difference between him and Oikawa. Where Iwaizumi was straightforward and firm like the blade of a sword, Oikawa was quick and versatile like a knife. Iwaizumi was not one to wonder about the _how's_ and _why's_ of a matter, perfectly secure with a simple _what._

Even during the war, Iwaizumi had never truly wondered why he was chosen as Ace. After he claimed his title, he had, of course, wondered how he would lead the kingdom-mainly reaching out to the other Card Suits for advice or going back to the past policies of the Hearts kingdoms-but why he was Ace had never really occurred to him. He simply was the Ace-it was how he was born and it was how he'd die so why put much thought into how it might be different?

Because of this, Iwaizumi's first answer to Oikawa's question was a confused _because it's your destiny._ That would never be enough to convince Oikawa though. Not for someone so concerned with finding all the different paths behind every decision.

Iwaizumi sighed. When Iwaizumi asked Mad Dog why he became Queen, the mage had just shrugged and said "the magic" so that had been unhelpful. Asking Yahaba had meant sitting through several perplexed demands about why he was asking and assuring the man that yes, Iwaizumi thought he was doing a fantastic job as Jack and of course, wasn't questioning his skills. Finally, Yahaba had responded that he thought Hearts' financial system was out of date and wanted to fix it before it pulled Cards into an economic depression.

In other words, Yahaba had a specific task in mind and thought he could accomplish it as Jack. Iwaizumi didn't know what task Oikawa had. Or….well, he guessed that wasn't quite true. He knew that Oikawa's ultimate goal was helping Hearts' people.

Iwaizumi frowned. That...that might be the start of an idea.

He needed an idea and desperately. He and Yahaba were leaving for Spades tomorrow afternoon which gave him less than twenty four hours to come up with an idea that would convince Oikawa to become King.

He...he could tell Oikawa about the Hyakuzawa plot. He _should_ tell Oikawa about the Hyakuzawa plot. He knew the man well enough that Iwaizumi had no doubt that Oikawa would take on the mantle of Kingship if it meant Hearts staying out of war. Oikawa would do anything for Hearts, even taking on a role he didn't believe in. But...but Iwaizumi didn't want to do that. Not to Oikawa. Not without trying everything else first.

Iwaizumi knew what it was like to Claim a title to prevent war. He knew the burden, the unsteadiness he'd felt for years after-really until Yahaba and Mad Dog had come to stand beside him. For someone like Oikawa, someone who didn't believe he should have the title in the first place, it would be even worse. And...and Iwaizumi couldn't make that his reason for wanting Oikawa as King. Not yet. Not until he absolutely had to.

But, the fact remained that Hearts needed Oikawa. Not because of fate or destiny or even the threat of war. Iwaizumi felt it deep in his bones that Oikawa was needed here, that a Hearts without him would be a worse off place.

And Iwaizumi would...Iwaizumi would miss him if he left. He'd miss their banter, their arguments, their spars. He'd miss the way that Oikawa's eyes lit up when he would talk about Hearts. He'd miss him being close by and always ready for a conversation, running the course between light and witty or deep and heartfelt. He'd miss the way his hair curled at the ends from sweat after a particularly long spar. He'd miss how Oikawa could turn his words into devastating barbs or carefully considered suggestions depending on his need. He'd miss the smiles and laughs that would edge too close to sincere and make Iwaizumi return on reflex.

Her rubbed his chest absently as something twinged-probably just some heartburn from the wine at dinner.

How could he find the words to convince someone who was so much his opposite?

Maybe...maybe that was it, though? Maybe that was the reason that Iwaizumi wanted him to stay the most. It could be that...maybe Iwaizumi already had the answer and now that he could see it, it was blinding like looking directly into the sun.

Heart pounding, the Ace got to his feet and rushed to the door, intent on finding Oikawa.

He jerked the door open and had one foot out before he looked up and...

Oikawa stood in front of him, hand raised to knock.

Iwaizumi starred.

Oikawa blinked.

The two men stood, both frozen in the doorway.

"Um, evening," Oikawa greeted, smiling hesitantly before fidgeting in the entrance way. "Sorry to intrude...or something."

Iwaizumi continued starring. "What are you doing here?"

Oikawa opened his mouth before frowning, shaking his head. "Nevermind. This was...this was stupid. I don't even know why I came. I'll go."

The other man turned, obviously intent on walking back down the hall before Iwaizumi reached out and grabbed his wrist-his fingers rubbing against the bandage.

Oikawa stopped, turning back to Iwaizumi with large confused brown eyes.

Iwaizumi's throat went suddenly dry and he dropped his wrist, bringing the hand up to rub the back of his head. "Sorry...just, um, want to come in? Since you came all the way up here and all."

Oikawa swallowed, the movement drawing Iwaizumi eyes before they quickly flickered back up to Oikawa's face. "Yeah, I guess….ah, thanks."

"Actually, I was just heading out to find you," Iwaizumi said, stepping aside and letting Oikawa inside the room. Iwaizumi closed the door and watched as Oikawa stood awkwardly in the center of the room, obviously unsure where to sit since Iwaizumi's room didn't have much in terms of seating other than a single desk chair or the bed.

"You can take the desk if you want," Iwaizumi suggested.

Oikawa nodded, taking the suggestion.

The two men sat in an uncomfortable silence that reminded Iwaizumi far too much of Oikawa's first week in the castle. In a way, even worse, because at least then the two were always a second away from snapping at each other rather than this weird limbo they seemed stuck in.

At the desk, Oikawa cleared his throat and then...did something that Iwaizumi never would've expected.

Slowly, he unwrapped the bandage off his hand until all that was left was a bright red heart and a pale hand-standing out even brighter against the tan of his fingers.

Iwaizumi breath caught in his chest.

"Why were you heading to find me?," Oikawa asked softly, eyes moving up to meet Iwaizumi's own.

The Ace swallowed, figuring this was as good an opening as any and decidedly better than most.

"I have an answer to your question," Iwaizumi said, trying for a firm confident voice but coming out softer than he had intended.

Oikawa hummed. "Which question was that?"

"I know why I want you as my King."

And there was the firmness his voice needed.

He was just able to catch Oikawa's eyes widen before the man quickly ducked his head down back to the desk, his hand tightening around the unwrapped bandage.

"And why is that, Iwaizumi," Oikawa asked and Iwaizumi briefly faltered at the sound of his full last name.

Pushing his nerves aside, Iwaizumi moved forward, stepping in front of Oikawa and grasping his shoulder to push him back in the chair until their eyes met. If he was doing this then Oikawa was going to look at him while he did, would see how much he meant it.

Oikawa blinked in surprise, opening his mouth but not finding any words before Iwaizumi started.

"I want you as my King because Hearts needs to change and I'm not the one who can give it," Iwaizumi said, voice heavy for the small room.

"Not alone," Iwaizumi continued. "Hearts needs someone to be able to push past just rebuilding to forge it into something new and better and you're the only one who can do it." Iwaizumi took a deep breath. "You were right back at the audience when you told me I focused too much on stability instead of progress. Hearts needs more than that right now, it needs someone who can take it apart, examine it, and put it back as something better."

"And...and I know you're the one who can do it because...because you'd do it while still caring about it, while still loving it enough to see the things that need to stay the same and the things that need to change." Oikawa made to interrupt but Iwaizumi stopped him. "Look, I know you don't think the people need you on the throne. I know you don't believe in fate or destiny. And who knows? Maybe you're right and the Marks don't always make the best leaders. They certainly fucked it up with the last Ace and Queen. But….but that doesn't matter right now. Hearts needs someone to lead it to the future and no one is going to be better at that than you. Mark or no Mark"

Iwaizumi swallowed, finally looking away so he wouldn't have to see the answer. "So….yeah, that's why I want you as King, because in the end, you were right all along. What do you say?"

There was a pause and then Iwaizumi felt a hand on his cheek, guiding his face back to look at Oikawa.

Iwaizumi didn't get a chance to see Oikawa's expression before the other man was leaning forward, stopping with his face a breath away from Iwaizumi and paused in a silent question.

Iwaizumi didn't pull away and Oikawa took that as the answer it was, moving his hand to the back of Iwaizumi neck and pulling him forward to meet Oikawa.

And then Oikawa was kissing him.

Beyond the obvious, Iwaizumi had absolutely no idea what was happening but he really didn't want it to stop. So he leaned forward matching Oikawa's soft movements with his own and tilting his head to get a better angle.

Oikawa seemed to take this as encouragement, his movements becoming less soft and more the deliberate and demanding force that Iwaizumi had expected….wait, when exactly had he developed expectations for how Oikawa kissed?

It really didn't matter as Iwaizumi reached out blindly, grabbing hold of Oikawa's sleeve and pulling him up from the awkward half sitting position and into Iwaizumi's chest. Oikawa went with the movement, laughing slightly into Iwaizumi's mouth before bringing his hand up to grip his hair.

He nibbled slightly on Iwaizumi's lip and Iwaizumi groaned, bringing his arm around to pull Oikawa closer.

He could feel Oikawa's mouth twist into a smirk and for some reason, that was what fully broke Iwaizumi's trance.

He pulled back, breathing heavier than it should've been after barely a few minutes of kissing.

"What," Iwaizumi breathed out before catching his breath and settling into a firmer voice. "What was that about?"

Oikawa smiled and this time Iwaizumi could take in his expression.

He looked...tired

Oikawa stepped back, putting space between the two that they probably needed but Iwaizumi definitely didn't want.

"Sorry," Oikawa said softly. "I'm selfish. I just wanted to do that one time before I had to give it away." Oikawa took a deep breath and Iwaizumi's stomach went into free fall. "I...I actually came here to tell you that I was wrong...and to apologize." He waved a hand between them. "I didn't really mean for this to happen..though I don't really regret it." Oikawa bit his lip, looking down. "The truth is I was wrong for what I said a month ago. You're a great leader-and an even greater man. You'll do a great job with Hearts like you always have but…," Oikawa looked up, meeting his eyes. "But I can't be your King."

Iwaizumi opened his mouth but Oikawa leaned forward putting a hand over it before he could speak.

"No, listen," Oikawa pressed. "You're amazing, really. And...and maybe the only reason I was chosen by Fate was so I could tell you that...to push you in a new direction maybe. But, overall," Oikawa shook his head. "I've seen you...seen Yahaba and Mad Dog...all of you are meant to lead Hearts. You're good at it. But a throne's never been where I belong and it never will be. The throne's for you. All three of you," Oikawa dropped both his hand and his gaze. "And, maybe, it's because you do understand what it's like to live under a tyrant king. You do and...and, you're not like me, you're not like me at all, you didn't chose to hate it blindly….you did something better. You changed it. You took something broken and tried to fix it. And, yeah, maybe some parts are still kind of shitty and need more work. But you're trying and you're a better man than me because I...I never...So, yeah."

Oikawa looked back at up with him before immediately directing his attention back to the floor and letting out a slightly wild laugh.

"And...and you want to know what the really crazy thing is?" Oikawa asked, not giving him time to answer before starting back. "I think that if I let myself it would be really, really easy to fall in love with you. Not even counting all of this King shit."

Iwaizumi's breath caught but Oikawa just let out another laugh, scrubbing at his face with his sleeve. "And, I mean...that's crazy, right? I thought I hated you a month ago. But...but now...I think...I really think I could and it would be _easy_."

And, yeah, Iwaizumi thought, that was crazy. But, even still it felt like something precious was slipping through his hands, faster than he could stop it. His thoughts were interrupted by Oikawa finally looking up and meeting his eyes.

"So, I guess I can't let myself, right," Oikawa whispered, soft tone belaying the fire in his eyes. "Because, well, you don't become King just for one person. That's...that's just selfish and...and I can never be your King. It's not who I am. You deserve-this country deserves better than me and so, I can't be the one to wear the crown."

Iwaizumi moved forward to argue but a single look from Oikawa stopped him.

"You're not going to change my mind, Hajimi," Oikawa said firmly. "So, _please_... You're leaving tomorrow for Spades and I'm not. So, just for tonight, can we not talk about monarchies and politics?"

Iwaizumi opened his mouth but all that came out was a short raspy breath.

He laughed, short and without humor.

"So, this is it?" he asked. And he didn't know what he looked like, what he sounded like but something in his demeanor made Oikawa flinch and Iwaizumi hated it.

"I'll see you off tomorrow," Oikawa said quietly-the words barely making it out of his mouth before Iwaizumi was moving, yanking him forward

Oikawa gasped, a short sudden intake of breath, before Iwaizumi's mouth met his again.

Iwaizumi didn't have to wait long for Oikawa to react-he never had-and soon the other's hands had returned to their previous position, gripping Iwaizumi's hair.

True to Oikawa's wish, the two didn't talk about politics or monarchies. Of Kings or Aces. Of wars or destiny.

In fact, they didn't talk much at all. But, Iwaizumi still heard one word in every touch of their lips, in every stillness between moments, in every desperate stolen second.

Iwaizumi still heard _goodbye._

ooooooo

Tsukishima paced around his office, going through papers and papers trying to find something, _anything_ that would give him a hint of where Hinata was.

After finding the bag and Hinata's room empty, he'd immediately alerted Suga, Yachi, and the rest of the spies. Currently, they were all busy with their own tasks but each were coming up as fruitless as Tsukishima's own was proving. The spies had split their resources-Shimizu going out into the city to try to find any clue and Asahi staying in to guard the King. Yachi was discreetly surveying the palace servants to see if anyone had seen anyone unusual in the past. So far, all she'd found out was that two men had apparently been spotted somewhere on the east side of the castle yesterday afternoon but hadn't been seen since. Yachi had passed that information on to Shimizu. Suga was using his magic to try to get a location on Hinata's life essence-a notoriously difficult and unwieldy process that hadn't found anything yet. With magic, this meant that Hinata was either on the move, outside of Suga's range (which was terrifying in its own way since that range was half the country), or that Hinata was d-

Well, Tsukishima was not thinking of that option. Not recognizing that the most obvious goal when capturing the Ace of Spades did not involve keeping him alive.

Tsukishima drew in a ragged breath, stalking over to his desk to look through papers there. He had been so stupid. He had thought that the decrease in activity meant that the assassins thought the Ace was dead. He should have realized they were just biding their time for something bigger. If Hinata was….if Tsukishima didn't get to see him again, then the fault would lay entirely own his head. It was the Ace's job to act on information and to gather it; it was the Jack's to properly asses that information and watch the Ace's back.

Wiping a hand over his face, Tsukishima pulled himself out of those thoughts and back to the task on hand. Scrub the feelings, focus on the data. A lack of focus would only mean delay in finding Hinata.

As soon as he finally calmed his mind to a place where he could actually process the information, a knock sounded on his door.

Tsukishima held back a growl but couldn't stop the scowl as he strode over to the door.

"What," Tsukishima bit out before finally looking down at his visitor.

Hinata smiled. "Hey, Tsuki!"

Tsukishima stumbled back and Hinata apparently took this as the Jack letting him in as he strode past Tsukishima with a grin.

"Sorry, it took me so long. I had to walk a few miles just to find someplace with actual people and then you wouldn't _believe_ how long it took me to find someone both with a horse and willing to lend it to me. Oh, by the way, remind me to bring Mr. Reo his horse back-you remember him the old guy with the cats, who runs that seafood shop?-apparently his nephew or something's in town for the weekend and let me borrow-"

That was as long as it took for the shock to wear off and Tsukishima to reach forward to the spy.

Tsukishima closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, feeling his heart beat quickly in his chest and feeling an answering calm, beat from Hinata

"Um, Tsuki?" Hinata asked, voice muffled by the awkward hug. "You alright? I'm really okay, I promise."

"Shut up," Tsukishima said, pushing Hinata back.

The Jack straightened his clothes and let out a small annoyed huff, leaning on his desk. "So, tell me what happened."

Hinata grinned, falling back into the visitor's chair. "You're really not going to believe it."

"Try me."

And Hinata did.


	12. Chapter 12

_3 Years Prior_

" _But I don't need a manservant," Kageyama muttered, frowning into his book._

" _You're a King, Kageyama. Servants come with the territory," Suga responded flatly. "Besides he's a manservant for the entire Spades Suit, not just you particularly."_

 _The 21 year old King sighed. "He might as well just serve you and Tsukishima then and skip coming here."_

 _Suga waved him off. "He'll have other duties to attend to as well. He's already the official Spades courier but we need something for him to do between messages."_

" _But what am I even going to ask him to do. Everything I need, I can get myself." Kageyama asked, trying to keep the whine out of his tone._

 _He apparently wasn't that successful as Suga merely folded his arms across his chest and gave Kageyama that look that always made him feel like he was nine years old and in trouble._

" _Serving me will be really boring," Kageyama tried, not meeting Suga's eyes._

 _It was the Queen's turn to sigh. "Then get him to get you books from town. Ask him to take notes for you. Miracle of miracles, you could even try talking to him." He leveled Kageyama with a firm stare. "The point is you're not getting out of this so you might as well make the best out of it."_

 _A good king was supposed to know when he'd been defeated._

" _...Fine," Kageyama said. "When do I meet him?"_

 _Suga smiled. "I'm so happy you agree, my King, since he should be here any minute."_

" _Wait, he's coming here today?" Kageyama gaped._

" _No time like the present." Suga continued to smile just as a knock sounded at the door. "That must be him now."_

 _Before Kageyama could say anything else, the Queen had already strolled to the door and was pulling it open. "My King, I'd like to introduce you to the Official Courier of Spade and newly appointed Manservant to the Spade's Suit, Hinata Shouyou."_

" _Pleased to meet you, Your Highness," the newcomer smiled._

 _The absolute very first impression that Kageyama had of his new manservant was_ bright. _Possibly too bright-with vivid orange hair that was sticking out in every direction more akin to a fire than a hairstyle and shining bronze eyes that seemed to be evaluating Kageyama even while the smile on the servant's face was nothing but polite. Kageyama had the strangest impulse to shield his eyes while looking at him._

 _Kageyama did what he normally did upon confronting situations that confused him-frown and remain silent._

 _Standing behind the new servant, Suga rolled his eyes. "I'll let you two get acquainted for a bit."_

 _And then, Suga closed the door behind him-leaving Kageyama with a total stranger that was now looking at him expectantly._

" _Ummm….I don't really have anything for you to do," Kageyama said and hoped the servant-Hinata, Suga said his name was Hinata-wouldn't get bored or be annoyed or...something._

 _Instead, Hinata just smiled. "That's fine. Nice to have a break anyway. Whatcha reading?"_

 _Kageyama blinked and realized he was still holding an open book. "Ah, just...just something on city design-road building and stuff."_

 _Hinata's face scrunched up. "That sounds so boring! You read that for fun?"_

 _Kageyama huffed, glaring back down at the book instead of the servant. Because yeah, the book was boring, but it was his book and it might be useful someday so there._

" _Well," the servant said and Kageyama blinked back up because he thought that conversation was done. "Is it for fun?"_

 _Kageyama frowned, shifting in his seat. "It's not for fun. It's so I can help the kingdom."_

" _Oh," Hinata said, surprised. "Then that's not boring at all. How's it going to help?"_

 _Kageyama's brow furrowed. This conversation was not really going how he planned it, how they normally went._

" _I don't know yet," Kageyama admitted. "But...but it could one day. Like maybe if Spades wants to build a new city or something. It's just in case, you know...so I can be prepared."_

 _Hinata tilted his head before nodding. "Okay, that makes sense."_

 _Kageyama nodded and turned back to his book, hoping that was the end of the strange conversation._

" _So, what have you learned so far," Hinata asked, dashing Kageyama's hopes._

" _Why do you care?" Kageyama snapped impatiently. "You thought it was boring."_

" _Well, yeah, but that was before you told me why," Hinata said, rolling his eyes with a casualness that Kageyama found strange for a palace servant. "Now, I want to know in case I need to know about city construction one day."_

" _Why would a courier and manservant need to know about city construction," Kageyama demanded._

 _Hinata smiled and Kageyama's could swear there was a mischievous edged to it. "Servants need to know all kinds of things, my King." Hinata shrugged and the mischievous edge disappeared. "And besides I like to learn about things, especially stuff that other people think is cool. So please tell me what you learned."_

 _Kageyama frowned. "I haven't even read much yet. I'm only on chapter two.""_

" _Then I'm in luck," Hinata concluded happily. "I get to start from the beginning."_

 _Kageyama stared at him. "You...you really want to hear about this?"_

 _Hinata nodded. "Definitely, my King!"_

" _You don't have to call me 'my King' all the time," Kageyama muttered. "It's a hassle-just call me Kageyama."_

 _If anything, Hinata's smile grew. "Okay, Kageyama!"_

 _Kageyama sighed and tried to work up some of the annoyance from earlier-he was finding it particularly difficult in the face of the servant's excitement_

" _Get over here, so I can show you this diagram," Kageyama ordered. "None of the chapter makes sense without it."_

 _Hinata beamed, walking towards Kageyama's desk. Halfway there, he tripped over what seemed like thin air-almost falling and nearly hitting a pile of Kageyama's books._

 _Kageyama glared as Hinata apologized sheepishly for the clumsiness._

 _Honestly, what had this idiot even been doing for the past five years?_

 _ooooooo_

A knock on the door jolted Suga out of his semi-conscious daze and into a state of hyper-alertness only achieved by those just short of total exhaustion.

"C-come in," the Queen called, hastily making sure his clothes didn't look too wrinkled and struggling to remember exactly which appointment he'd forgotten.

The Captain of the Guards inched the door open and it was only through decades and decades of diplomatic experience that Suga held back a groan.

Oh, right, _that_ appointment. The one that just happened to be the first time he'd spoken with Daichi since the disastrous conversation in the garden. Of course, it would be this morning.

Daichi was still waiting by the door with a hesitant expression that did strange things to Suga's heart muscles.

Suga mustered a smile. "Morning, you can go ahead and sit down."

"Sug-Your Highness," Daichi corrected, moving to the seat slowly. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather me meet with the Jack or King today? I understand that this is awkward for you."

It was awkward, but Suga was sure it was even more for Daichi than it was for himself. Besides both Kageyama and Tsukishima were rather preoccupied this morning so it's not like there was much other option. Still, for Daichi, he'd try…

"I'll be fine but I completely understand if you'd rather meet with them," Suga offered, already mentally trying to find an opening.

"No," Daichi said quickly. "I'd...I'd rather just continue like normal so we can move passed this quicker."

Suga nodded and looked down, not quite up to meeting the sincerity in the Captain's expression.

"Any news from the Knights," Suga asked, sticking with the familiarity of a well worn script.

"Nothing of great import," Daichi replied smoothly. "The older ones look forward to the tournament. The younger are excited to observe."

"Excellent," Suga complimented, moving by route to the next matter. "Is the private field ready for the Aces' Match?"

"All in order," Daichi answered. "I take it we still shouldn't expect our own Ace to join?"

Suga swallowed at the mention of Hinata, thoughts he'd been trying to suppress warring with the present. "...No, he won't be competing."

There was a pause and Suga looked up to see Daichi staring at him with that same conflicted expression from earlier.

"Are the knight's stables ready for visitors," Suga asked quickly, hoping to distract. His heart beat erratically in his chest and for once it was caused by panic rather than the strange affection that normally coupled with the Captain's presence.

Daichi continued starring. "Everything was cleaned and ready when I saw it last night. I'm having the new recruits make sure it's spotless for the guests."

"Thank you," Suga said, looking down and forcefully breaking the stare. "You can...You're dismissed, Captain. Thank you for your report."

"...Suga."

Suga pretended he didn't hear.

"My Queen, are you...are you alright?"

Suga let out a shaky breath, not looking up. "Daichi, I don't want to burden you with my problems. Especially not so soon after….It would be cruel to request any more of your concern."

"Koushi," Daichi said in such a soft voice that Suga had to look up.

Finally meeting Suga's eyes, Daichi swallowed. "Suga, I didn't tell you of my feelings so I could stop being your friend. I did in the hopes of being something else as well….Please, don't hide your burdens out of concern for me or fear of giving me false hope. It's...it's always been my honor to be your friend."

And at that moment, Suga was just frankly too _tired_ of holding back anymore and much, much too scared of being alone.

"Yesterday, I spent most of the day thinking the Ace was dead," Suga said bluntly and watched as Daichi's eyes widened with the unspoken question.

Suga shook his head. "He's not...Thank the Fates, he's not. But...he was just gone and...and my magic couldn't find him and before that's always...It's _always_ meant that." Suga's breath was coming too fast and he paused trying to catch it.

"Suga…"

"Before, it's always meant they were dead," Suga continued, cutting him off. "And...and I just kept thinking that it was happening again and that there was nothing I could do and…"

"But, it didn't, right," Daichi interrupted, grabbing his attention. "The Ace is fine."

Suga nodded, pressing his lips together.

"So, everything is still alright," Daichi said and for a moment, Suga just sat and let the voice soothe him.

"But, that's the thing," Suga said, voice barely above a whisper. "He's fine now...but eventually, he won't be. Eventually, they'll all be…" Suga swallowed. "Eventually, they'll all be dead and I'll still be here, waiting for the next Suit. And it won't be the same and.."

Suga looked up at Daichi. "I watched them grow up, did you know that?"

Daichi shook his head.

"All of them...normally...normally, the Suit members wait to Claim their titles until they're at least older teenagers but this time…" Suga took a ragged breath and finally admitted something he'd been trying to avoid. "This time, I got to watch them grow and I don't know if I can let them go this time. Not this Suit. Not this time."

Daichi paused, looking at him closely. "What are you trying to say, Suga?"

Suga shook his head. "I'm not sure and...I probably shouldn't tell you this, but it's _you_ so...Cards is on the brink of war," he ignored Daichi's sharp intake of breath. "There's already been multiple assassination attempts on Kageyama, one of our spies was nearly killed because they thought he was the Ace, our Ace just escaped a kidnapping, and…" Suga stopped. "There's so many things coming and I don't know if there's a single thing I can do to stop them."

A hand reached out and grabbed Suga's own.

Perplexed, Suga looked up at the Captain.

"So, do what you always do, my Queen," Daichi told him gently. "Plan for what you, adapt to what may come, and lead our country as best as your able."

"I wish it were that simple," Suga said sadly

"So do I," Daichi said with all the calm reason of a Knight's Captain. "But it's all we have, so it's all we can do. And Suga?"

"Yes?"

"Wherever you lead, I will follow." the Captain promised.

And nothing was solved by those words. War loomed. Worries remained. The Cards Kingdom remained in a danger that Suga still didn't have a solution for. Nothing had changed between the breaths.

But despite this, Suga still found something in him settled.

ooooooo

If asked a month ago how he'd feel at the end of his mandated castle stay, Oikawa would've laughed and said something like relief or elation, maybe even a vindictive sort of pleasure in predicting this from the start

Now, watching the Hearts' Suit prepare to leave the castle, Oikawa could only feel a deep aching sadness, an internalized bitterness, and-most of all-a sense of overwhelming grief.

"You didn't have to come see us off you know," Iwaizumi grumbled, eyes darting between Oikawa and the horse with a nervousness that the other found endearing.

Oikawa reached out and secured the finishing straps of the saddle. "Of course I did, Iwa-chan. Don't be silly."

Iwaizumi swallowed and Oikawa's eyes unconsciously traced the movement. "If you change your mind…"

"I won't," Oikawa replied firmly but tempered it with a small smile.

"If you do," Iwaizumi continued. "You know Mad Dog's staying to watch over Hearts while we're gone so you can always go to him."

"I'll keep that in mind," Oikawa said even though they both knew it was a lie.

Iwaizumi looked at him and Oikawa knew it wouldn't be much longer until the Ace needed to leave.

"I'll miss you, you know," Iwaizumi said with a rough laugh. "A month ago, I never would've believed it but...I'm _really_ going to miss you."

Oikawa looked away, pressing down a number of embarrassing impulses. "I'll miss you, too."

"Maybe….maybe I can come visit you? Come see your village or something," Iwaizumi said, stepping forward.

"You shouldn't," Oikawa said, tone emotionless. "All it will do is hurt us both."

Iwaizumi let out another humorless laugh. "Yeah, you're probably right…."

The Ace moved to start walking away and Oikawa's hand shot out, entangling with his.

Iwaizumi looked back, surprised.

"I'm sorry," Oikawa said quickly, looking up to meet Iwaizumi's eyes. "I really am...and...I just wanted you to know that I...I don't regret it. Staying here. Meeting you. I don't regret it."

Instead of answering, Iwaizumi leaned down, finding Oikawa's lips with his own.

Oikawa had a brief handful of seconds to think that the kiss would have been sweet-gentle and warm and _right_ -if it wasn't so heartbreakingly sad.

Like everything, the kiss ended too soon and Iwaizumi leaned back to rest his head against Oikawa's.

"...Yeah, I don't regret it either," Iwaizumi sighed. "Any of it."

This time when Iwaizumi pulled away and went to mount his horse, Oikawa didn't stop him. He also didn't say anything when the Ace rode forward, calling for Yahaba. He didn't do anything when he watched the two ride off with a small contingent of knights, the entire party getting smaller and smaller until they finally vanished in the distance.

And finally, when everyone was gone and Oikawa was left alone in an empty stable, that's when he unwrapped a particular bandage and starred at a bright red heart that had never looked quite so empty.

ooooooo

It had taken a full day of first recounting the story to Tsuki, then being fully questioned by Tsuki, then recounting the story to Tsuki _and_ Suga, then more questioning, then a medical check up from Asahi, then being re-checked and worried over by Yachi when he had to retell the story to her, but Hinata was _finally_ cleared and allowed to return to guarding Kageyama.

Granted, by the time he got there he'd probably only be able to actually talk to Kageyama for a few hours before the King went to sleep, but still it was better than nothing. And Hinata _needed_ to see that the King was okay. At this point, he wasn't even sure whether it was a delayed reaction from the stress of kidnapping or something to do with his own feelings for the man; but, ever since he'd gotten back to the palace, there'd was a constant itch in the back of Hinata's skull urging him to make sure Kageyama was alright.

Hinata's lip twitched up in a smile. _Why did no one ever tell me that being in love involved this much worrying?_

He was almost to the South Tower where Kageyama's room was located when he stopped, seeing something that was very much _not_ supposed to be there.

Another servant was walking to the tower stairs, an ornate covered silver platter held balanced in his hands.

Absently, Hinata noticed that his insides had gone cold-not in shock, not in fear, but rather a familiar icy feeling that Hinata only felt on a very particular set of missions.

Hinata walked forward with a smile.

"Hey, isn't it a bit late for a dinner run," Hinata called. "I can't believe the King still has you working this late?"

The servant jolted in surprise, turning to Hinata and allowing the Ace to get the first full glimpse of the man.

 _Unfamiliar,_ Hinata noted. _Not a palace servant. Threat._

Hinata held out a hand, gesturing to the platter. "If you want, I can take that up for you? It's on my way."

"No," the servant said a little too quickly, jerking the platter away from Hinata.

Hinata scrunched up his brow in a pantomime of confusion.

"I mean," the servant laughed nervously. "I won't bother someone else with it. My task, my responsibility and all."

"Alright." Hinata nodded, easily accepting and the servant seemed to relax a bit. Hinata didn't let that last long. "Say I don't think I've seen you before. New to the palace?"

The servant swallowed. "Um, yes. I came here from the country."

"What country was that?" Hinata asked, purposely misunderstanding the words. "I thought I heard a bit of an accent. Must be cool to travel like that."

The servant frowned and Hinata saw a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. "I meant the countryside. North of here." He frowned. "What are you doing going to the King's room, by the way? Isn't it a bit late for most servants?"

Hinata grinned and probably only Tsuki would notice the sharp edge to it. "It is for most servant, but didn't you know? I'm the Suit's manservant."

Confusion colored the servant's face but Hinata kept smiling.

"I thought that they…." the servant swallowed. "Apologies, they told me you were indisposed."

"Indisposed?" Hinata cocked his head. _Because I'm pretty sure a new servant isn't supposed to know I was 'indisposed'?_

That gave Hinata all the basic answers he needed. Hyakuzawan accent, definitely involved with the group that kidnapped Hinata, and unlikely to give away any more information than what he'd already revealed. Now, all that was left was to see how this would play out.

The servant shook his head. "Well, I guess that information was wrong. If you'll excuse me, I really _must_ deliver this to the King now."

"Oh, of course! Sorry!" Hinata glanced down sheepishly. "I always just love talking to people. My brother always tells me I'm being stupid, but…" Hinata shrugged, "it's how you get to know people."

The servant was looking increasingly impatient. "Well, if that's all…"

"Yeah, that's it," Hinata smiled and waited until the servant started to turn. "Actually, wait. Do you mind if I just ask one more question?"

The servant gave him an annoyed look. "What?"

Hinata stepped forward. "There's just one thing I don't get. Are you working for the King directly or just hired mercenaries?"

The servant's mouth dropped open. "What are you-"

"Because that's what me and Tsuki keep trying to figure out," Hinata explained. "Cause with a plot like this, I said that it's much more likely you're one of the King's own-minimize the risk of leaking information and all." Hinata tilted his head, thinking of something. "Though, I guess the King didn't have to tell you _everything_ about the plot, did he? Darn, that means Tsuki was right."

The "servant" was staring at him intently.

"I'm sorry, I think you've made some mistake," he said coldly. "I'm just a new palace servant."

Hinata laughed. "You're a _terrible_ palace servant. Like even worse than me when I'm being clumsy. Standing out here talking while the food gets cold? The cooks would kill you." Hinata's smile dropped and he shrugged. "I gotta say though. You guys have been pretty decent assassins….just not good enough."

The "servant" held his expression for one...two...and then the whole facade dropped like taking off a mask.

The assassin smirked. "If I'm a terrible servant, then you have to be a particularly dumb one." He let the platter slide down to the ground, revealing the sharp knife under it. "One little manservant staring down an experienced assassin. You really didn't think this through, did you?"

Hinata stepped back, letting his eyes widen. He gulped.

"You know...I think I have a question for you, too," the assassin commented idly, stepping forward for every step Hinata retreated. "I'm sure my associates aren't quite that incompetent. So, how did you manage to escape them already?"

"I had some help," Hinata answered honestly, giving his voice a trace of fear. "I thought they wanted me for information on Kageyama. Why are you here before they got it?"

The assassin shrugged. "I'm impatient." The knife glinted in his hands. "Quite impatient, when I saw a chance in between the palace guards, I just had to take it...Your friend was right about the hired mercenaries part, though I admit I'm now curious about this 'plot' you referred to. Think I should've asked for more money?"

"Probably," Hinata breathed.

"Darn," the assassin drawled. "Oh, well, I supposed this job wasn't a total waste. I did still get to kill the Ace." He advanced towards Hinata, boxing him at the wall. "I'm sorry but that was all the information I really needed, little servant. As thanks, I will try to leave your body somewhere it can be easily found."

The assassin's knife slashed forward.

...Hinata's was quicker.

The assassin's knife dropped and he grabbed his arm, now bleeding heavily from the severed artery. A few seconds later, the assassin fell to the ground, looking up at Hinata with something like shock.

Hinata leaned down, looking slightly apologetic. He pulled down the neck of his tunic until the black spades mark was just visible on his upper bicep.

"Sorry, I think your job did end up a total waste."

"You..." the assassin managed, voice getting weaker until his eyes finally drifted closed and he fell.

Hinata bent down to check for a pulse-there wasn't one-before hefting the body down and into the little alcove off the main tower stairs where no one was likely to see it.

That done, Hinata rocked back on his feet and just stood.

The coldness was washing away now. His heartbeat was picking up-fear now. Quick breaths echoed in his ears and Hinata had to take a second to realize they were his own.

If he'd been a minute later heading to Kageyama's room...if it had been almost anyone besides Hinata...if the Fate hadn't decided to help Hinata escape...Hinata's King-Kageyama would be dead right now and Hinata…

Much like a string wound too tight and held under too much pressure, something snapped and Hinata was left unmoored without an often held restraint.

It was in that moment that Hinata made a decision.

Turning to the Tower, Hinata started quickly up the stairs.

ooooooo

Utterly unaware of his almost demise, Kageyama yawned.

Leaning back in his chair with a book on Club's gem mining practices, the King distractedly wondered if he should head to bed early.

This day had seemed longer than most, probably because Hinata was still out sick from whatever stomach bug Yachi had informed him about. Kageyama bit his lip and wondered if it would be weird if he went and checked on him tomorrow if he still wasn't back. He remembered from a book he'd read a few years ago about common treatments for ailments, that peppermint helped for nausea.

….Yeah, nevermind, that was probably weird. Hinata would be just fine with whatever the palace healer advised and without Kageyama crowding around him.

A quick knock on the door interrupted Kageyama's thoughts.

The King barely had time to open his mouth before the door swung open and Hinata himself strode in, eyes flickering around the room before they landed on Kageyama sitting at the desk.

"Hinata?" Kageyama stood up as Hinata started walking towards him with an oddly intent look . "I guess you're feeling better?"

That stopped the servant. Hinata frowning back at him in confusion.

"From your stomach bug?" Kageyama reminded, wondering if maybe Hinata _was_ still sick.

"Oh, yeah," Hinata blinked, confusion clearing. "Yeah, the stomach bug. All better and _definitely_ not contagious."

"That's good for-," Kageyama started and that was as far as he got before Hinata pushed him back in the seat.

He barely had time to frown before Hinata was suddenly in his lap and kissing him.

Kageyama's brain broke.

Hinata didn't seem to notice, running a hand into his hair and biting lightly at his lip. Kageyama's mouth fell open more on instinct than anything and Hinata made a faintly pleased sound, moving forward and tongue flicking across the side of Kageyama's.

Kageyama's two remaining synapses fired back.

Carefully but firmly, Kageyama pushed Hinata back and stared at him.

"Fuck, you _are_ still sick, aren't you," Kageyama gasped out, finding the most likely explanation. "You've got some kind of fever and it's making you crazy."

Hinata grinned, lips still wet and Kageyama was having a very rough time stopping himself from leaning back in.

"I don't have a fever," Hinata said, grabbing Kageyama's palm and placing it on the servant's own forehead so Kageyama could verify for himself.

Kageyama swallowed because Hinata didn't _feel_ like he had a fever. But, honestly, Kageyama kind of felt like his own skin was on fire so maybe he wasn't the best one to check.

"I don't have a fever, I'm not sick anymore, and I'm definitely not crazy," Hinata repeated, leaning in so his face was the only thing in Kageyama's vision. "But I do really, really like you." Hinata licked his lips, drawing Kageyama's eyes unbidden. "Actually, I'm in love with you and I think I've been that way for years. And it's kind of making it really hard not to want to kiss you right now but I think that's okay...because I think you want to kiss me, too."

A really funny thing was happening in Kageyama's chest as he tried to process the other's words. He wasn't quite sure if his heart was flying or if he was going into some kind of cardiac arrest. Unconsciously, Kageyama's hands gripped down on Hinata's waist, holding the man in place while Kageyama tried to piece together an idea that he was almost positive was too good to be true.

Apparently all of this was taking way too long as Hinata blinked, leaning back as the first true traces of nervousness passed over his face. He shifted uncomfortably on Kageyama's lap-which really didn't help Kageyama's thought process any.

"Aww, crap, I was totally wrong wasn't I?" Hinata said, face flushing bright red. "Crap, I'm _so_ sorry. I just kept thinking there were all these signs and Yachi said something that me think and-"

Kageyama wasn't good at words. Luckily, some things didn't need them.

This time, when their lips met, Hinata was the one surprised.

That didn't last long. Hinata's hands, previously on his neck, coming back up to grip Kageyama's hair pulling him closer and closer. Kageyama gasped and he could actually feel Hinata's answering grin before the other took advantage to slide his tongue back into Kageyama's mouth.

If Kageyama had ever thought about what it was like to kiss Hinata-and he had, _a lot,_ along with a few things that went beyond kissing-he'd always imagined the servant to be somewhat fumbling. Eager and bright like Hinata was in everything he did, but still a bit clumsy and awkwardly endearing.

This kiss was very much _not_ clumsy. Kageyama had been right about the eagerness and the sincerity but every part of this kiss was sure and confident in a way that made Kageyama's toes curl and his finger dig into Hinata's back.

It was the kind of kiss that wiped everything-doubts, insecurities, fear-from Kageyama's mind and left him feeling like for once, everything was perfect.

Well, almost. There was still one more thing.

So again, Kageyama ran a hand up to Hinata's shoulder and gently pulled him back, this time with only an inch in between them-just enough to see Hinata's eyes.

"I love you, too."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thank you all for your continued support. You guys rock!

ooooooo

 _12 Years Prior_

Tiredness, _a fifteen year old Oikawa mused,_ was a truly inadequate word.

 _Oikawa vaguely remembered Matsukawa forcing him to get some sleep a night earlier-maybe two nights?-but he couldn't remember actually sleeping. And even if he slept, he was sure it more resulted in continued bodily function than any feeling of restfulness._

 _Everything was calm right now. The village held in brief lull as the people moved slowly-praying for the wounded, accounting for the dead, preparing for the future. These times were always the worst for Oikawa._

 _In times like these, he always had enough time to begin questioning his previous decision, his previous mistakes. In battle, there was no time. Everything boiled down to two choices-quick action or quick death. Those were the times that Oikawa's mind flew across strategy, ran through options, shouted out plans with all the speed and confidence of one truly desperate to hide their own fear._

 _He was lucky as many of those decisions worked as well as they did. Lucky, that his village hadn't fallen like so many of their neighbors._

 _Oikawa moved his hand across the paper-a map of the village and surrounding ocean with pirate ships and troop numbers carefully marked._

" _Ow, shit," Oikawa swore as his palm sliced open on the edge of the paper._

 _Oikawa looked down and almost rolled his eyes at the sheer irony of swearing over a paper cut while preparing for a battle._

 _The little red line ran right over the white bandage and Oikawa carefully shifted the bandage to dab at the drop of blood._

 _He stopped, looking at the bandage or...more like trying to look through it._

 _It almost seemed that the Hearts Civil War had been going on for centuries rather than roughly three. The last piece of news the village had heard from the capital-and even that news was now over a year old-the capital was still a war zone with all civilians long evacuated._

 _Definitely, no one to care about a few small shipping villages under siege from Futakuchi pirates._

 _Oikawa sat back in the room's sole chair-a tiny wooden thing that creaked with every little shift._

 _There wasn't really time to think in the middle of a war-and Oikawa's village may not be involved in the Civil War; but, they were at war all the same. Sure, there was time to think quick, to make decisions; but, there was never any time to process. Time for true contemplation was rare and often much too brief to reach any resolution._

 _But, Oikawa got where he was because sometimes he could think ahead-could see the end of the path so clearly that it was like it had already happened. And, right now, he could see his future. Could see his village finally at peace. Could see himself finally having time to process all the many feelings and emotions he'd been suppressing for so long-the hurt and desperation of finding his village without protection, the blood chilling fear of having a village's survival thrust on him, the deep and roaring anger that his village had been abandoned by the Suit he was supposed to one day join._

 _One day, those feelings would have time to settle and Oikawa would finally see where his heart would lay._

But right now? _Oikawa thought and looked back at the map, focusing back on what he could do and on the people who were looking towards him._

 _Right now, all Oikawa felt was tired._

 _ooooooo_

Oikawa wasn't sure why he was still at the castle. His month was up. Iwaizumi was gone. His village was probably already starting to wonder when he'd returned. There was nothing keeping him here-no unfinished discussion, no meddlesome Fate, not even an unpacked bag.

There was no reason that Oikawa found himself on a familiar palace roof-two full days after the Hearts contingent had left for Spades.

His right hand almost felt like it was burning, a low level awareness that had nothing to do with physical sensation and everything to do with Oikawa's mental state. Once he had gotten to the roof, Oikawa had practically ripped the bandages off to finally look at the mark-wondering if it had disappeared and heart hammering in…

 _Heart hammering for what,_ he wondered. The mark disappearing would be a _relief_ , Oikawa reminded himself. He'd been wanting it to happen for years. Hoped and begged the Fate to take it away and find someone else, someone more fitting for the Kingship. So, why, in that heart pounding second where he'd thought it was finally gone, did he feel terrified?

Oikawa was no stranger to regret. He'd made hundreds, possibly thousands, of choices that he would give anything to change. Dozens of disastrous outcomes dogging his dreams even years after.

Oikawa didn't regret anything he'd said to Iwaizumi….well, nothing after those first few tense weeks when they'd been at teach other's throats. Everything after that-everything Oikawa had said about not wanting to be King was true and so, Oikawa couldn't regret it.

He didn't regret kissing Iwaizumi, no matter how painful it had made the goodbye. He'd even _told_ Iwaizumi that he didn't regret coming to the palace. Every choice that he'd made recently, Oikawa was convinced was the right one.

So, why? _Why?_ Why while he was laying alone on a palace roof and looking up at the stars did Oikawa feel like everything was so terribly wrong?

 _ooooooo_

"He's late," Tsukishima commented.

"Barely," Yachi said with an accompanying eye roll. "And it's just a regular check in meeting anyway. You don't even have anything to tell him."

"But I could have," Tsukishima shot back petulantly.

Yachi looked at him with the same expression Tsukishima had seen her use on particularly bad behaving palace children. He resented the implication and told her so.

Yachi just smiled. "He's guarding Kageyama this morning anyway-"

"If 'guarding' is what we're calling it now," Tsukishima interjected.

"Let him have some fun with his new relationship," She finished.

Tsukishima huffed and Yachi's smile took on a positively devious edge.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" she accused. "That's what has you so annoyed."

Tsukishima scrunched up his face in an expression of pure disgust. "Exactly, who are you implying I'm jealous of? The one who's my annoying and incredibly _unwanted_ self-proclaimed sibling or our stubborn minded shut in of a King?"

"Both of them," she answered, grinning like he'd just gifted her a much wanted present. "You're jealous that they finally worked it out while you're still tripping over yourself asking out Yamaguchi!"

Tsukishima scoffed. "Yachi, the kingdom is on the brink of war from Hyakuzawa, we've gotten assassination attempts on both our King and our Ace, The Kingdom of Hearts still doesn't have a king, Noya was stabbed, and Hinata just escaped from being kidnapped. Now is not the time to deal with my love life!" He sniffed. "I just have enough sense to realize that...unlike some others I won't name."

Yachi tsked sadly. "Excuses."

Tsukishima glared. "I could fire you."

"Please, the kingdom would fall within two days" Yachi laughed.

Tsukishima was saved by having to make a patently untrue denial by a knock on the door.

"Hey, guys," Hinata greeted, smile even brighter than usual. "I, um, lost track of time."

Tsukishima rolled his eyes while Yachi looked distinctly amused.

"Anything new," Hinata asked, taking his usual seat.

Tsukishima reached for a paper off his desk, picking it up and skimming it. "Not really. I had a drawing made of the last assassin you stopped and ran it by my informant network. We've got confirmation now that he was indeed part of a discrete, highly trained mercenary group with three main members."

"The other two that kidnapped me," Hinata concluded.

Tsukishima nodded. "Based on your descriptions, yes. Luckily for us, the group's secretive nature means that it should take some time before anyone realizes they're missing, much less for word of their deaths to make it back to the Hyakuzawa King."

"Good," Hinata said, leaning back in his chair and looking more relaxed. "That means it'll be awhile before he sends more assassins."

"It's the waiting game now," Tsukishima agreed. "However, that doesn't mean we should get complacent. Especially with the stupid festival coming up."

Yachi glared. "Do not call the festival that I've been working on for months 'stupid.'"

"My mistake, the highly intelligent but massive security risk of a festival coming up," Tsukishima corrected.

Yachi huffed but accepted the change, waving a goodbye to Hinata before heading out the door.

"I don't know," Hinata said once the door shut. "At least, the festival means the Suits can meet in person rather than having to use the magic or wait for letters. Maybe it'll help figure things out."

Tsukishima sighed. "At the expense of having three fourths of our monarchs in one place and just asking for an assassination attempt."

"So negative," Hinata grinned. "Who's staying behind this time?"

For the seasonal festivals, at least one member of ever Suit stayed in their own kingdom to rule while the others were away. In Spades, Kageyama unsurprisingly never failed to volunteer for the role on the festivals that Spades did not host.

Tsukishima looked down at the paper again. "For Clubs, it's Konoha. Diamonds will have Yaku. And Hearts has Mad Dog."

Hinata cocked his head. "Iwaizumi didn't choose to stay in Hearts? I thought for sure he would, given the risk."

Tsukishima shrugged. "He probably thought it better to be here for the Suits meeting. Not to mention, there would definitely be talk if he missed the match. Having Mad Dog stay behind avoids suspicion while still giving them a good defensive presence back home."

Hinata nodded, apparently seeing the logic.

He sent a lopsided grin at Tsukishima. "Who knows maybe Hearts' Lost King will even show up in the meantime. Save us some trouble."

Tsukishima snorted. "It's been over a decade, I highly doubt we'd be lucky enough for him to appear now."

"Pessimist," Hinata said, leaning over the desk to poke him on the shoulder. "If that's it, I'm going to go head over and check on Noya. See you when the guests start arriving?"

"I can hardly wait," Tsukishima deadpanned.

Hinata stood up and made it halfway to the door before Tsukishima finally let out a deep and very heartfelt sigh.

"Fine," Tsukishima muttered, already wondering how he could prevent Yachi from ever realizing she was right. "Hinata, one more thing."

"Yeah," Hinata asked, hand still on the door.

"Congrats on whatever it is you're doing with our King," Tsukishima said, waving his hand to gesture Hinata out the door.

The spy ignored him, giving a bright wide smile that threatened to blind anyone in eyesight. "Thanks, Tsuki! I knew you cared!"

Tsukishima rolled his eyes. "Just never tell me anything about it.

Hinata's eyes lit up impishly. "But, Tsuki…"

" _Never."_ Tsukishima glared.

Hinata's laugh echoed through the office, even after the man finally departed.

ooooooo

"Come on, Asahi! I can do a better pull up than that and I'm injured," Noya complained. "Want to see?"

"Please, don't," Asahi panted, eyes flickering to the other man to make sure he was still in the makeshift healing recliner and had not jumped on the practice bars.

Noya rolled his eyes. "You're no fun."

"You're a terrible patient," Asahi muttered back.

Noya laughed but didn't disagree and Asahi started back on another set of pull ups, pulling up his tunic to wipe the sweat off his face.

"Weellll," Noya drawled and Asahi could just hear the playful smirk. "At least, this stupid chair is giving me a great view. Real front seat performance."

Asahi blushed and mentally shook himself because it had been _three years_ and Noya's words could still make him turn red.

"Thanks," Asahi breathed out shyly.

"Oh, don't go all bashful," Noya grinned. "That makes this whole not-getting-out-of-the-chair thing even worse when I can't come over and see it up close."

Asahi huffed in amusement, dropping down from the bars and taking the few steps needed to brush a kiss over Noya's temple.

Noya's smile went soft and sweet. "When did Kiyoko say she'd be back?"

Asahi hummed. "Probably sometime tonight. Why?"

"We should do something special," Noya said, reaching out to grab Asahi's hand. "All the guests will be here by then so the castle should be practically overrun with knights. Hinata'll definitely being guarding the King. Perfect time for a night off for all three of us."

"What did you have in mind," Asahi asked, leaning back against the wall and idly threading his fingers through Noya's.

"We can make that chicken thing that Kiyoko really liked," Noya said, bringing the intertwined hands up to hold over his heart. "I'll even pull some candles out, make it a real date."

Asahi leaned down again, softly meeting Noya's lips with his own. "Sounds perfect."

The sound of someone rustling through the tower's outer door stopped him from saying anything more.

Noya didn't stop staring into Asahi's eyes. "Hinata?"

"Has to be," Asahi agreed. "Tsukishima already stopped by this morning."

Noya grinned, pushing at Asahi's shoulder. "Then, off. I am _not_ giving up the game that easy."

Asahi rolled his eyes but complied and by the time Hinata made it through the door, the two were a respectable distance apart.

Hinata still narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Of course not," the two spies replied in unison, faces blank of all except confusion.

Hinata huffed. "You know one day I really am going to find out which two of you are dating. You can't hide it forever."

"Sure you will, Shouyou," Noya replied in a tone that meant the exact opposite. Asahi laughed at Hinata's small pout.

"How are you feeling," Hinata asked, coming over to examine the half-bed half-chair that Asahi had put together for Noya.

"Great!" Noya said, shifting in his chair. "My only complaint is I think Asahi's trying to smother me with pillows."

"They're to support your back," Asahi protested.

"There are hen houses that have less feathers than me," Noya shot back, throwing one of the said pillows at Asahi.

Hinata sat down on a table in between them, idly swinging his legs. "How long do you think it's going to be before you can go on missions?"

Noya looked hopefully at Asahi, who frowned thoughtfully.

"I'd say a full month and then he can go on small ones," the poisoner and resident healer replied eventually. "I'll probably have him up and doing more exercises by the end of the week."

"And I'm _definitely_ still going to watch the tournament. Right, Azumane," Noya asked in a way that was much closer to a threat.

"You probably should be fine for that long," Asahi admitted.

"Good," Noya smiled. "It's only in Spades once a year and there's no way I'm going to miss it. I don't care if you have to carry me there in your arms," Noya wagged his eyebrows in an outrageous gesture. "In fact…"

Asahi blushed again and Hinata groaned.

"Nevermind, I'm not never going to figure it out," Hinata said, shaking his head. "I thought for sure it was you and Shimizu this time."

Noya snickered, giving away nothing. "Maybe, you should stop trying to piece together our love lives and fess up about your own. Heard you finally made a move on the King. Eh, Shouyou?"

Hinata's entire face lit up. "Yeah, I did and it went great! Who told you?"

"Hmmm," Asahi paused thoughtfully, trying to remember. "Was it Suga or Yachi that told us first?"

Noya scratched his chin. "Actually, I'm pretty sure Tsukishima let it slip first when he kept muttering about 'overly affectionate idiots' all morning."

Hinata laughed. "Darn, how did everyone find out so quickly?"

Asahi leaned over and ruffled Hinata's hair. "For a spy, that crush was remarkably unsubtle. I heard Yachi and Tsukishima even had a bet going on which of you would act on it first."

"I hope Yachi won then," Hinata said, rolling his eyes. "What were the stakes?"

"One unnamed favor," Noya answered, cocking his head in thought. "Which I'm sure will be hilarious for the rest of us, I thought they'd agreed never to bet for that after last time."

"Now, I _really_ hope Yachi won," Hinata agreed, thinking back to their last bet which somehow ended in Tsukishima working as a palace servant for an entire two days.

The conversation halted as the sound of trumpets erupted briefly in the distance, playing out what was a very recognizable tune for any resident of Spades' capital.

"Cool," Hinata said, looking back to the spies. "The first guests have been spotted. Won't be long now until everyone's here."

Hinata hoped down off the table. "I'm going to go check in on Kageyama and see if I can see any of the other Suit members before the dinner. Need anything?"

"Nah, go off!" Noya told him, falling back in his chair dramatically. "Enjoy the sun! Bring word back of its beauty to this poor forgotten invalid! Tell me is the sky still blue...it's been soo looongg."

Asahi rolled his eyes. "Have fun, Shouyou!"

"Thanks," Hinata said, smiling as he creaked open the doors and weaved through the vines.

Once he was out of earshot, Noya looked back at Asahi.

"So," Noya said, trying for a smirk but having his grin ruin it. He reached up and pulled at Asahi's shirt to get the larger man to lean back. "Now, that we're alone again."

Noya leaned up, leaving Asahi to bridge the final gap and kiss him.

Asahi stayed where he was with a grin of his own. "Well, I don't know...you are to quote a 'poor forgotten invalid'."

Noya pouted. "Not _that_ invalid. This is why I said you're no fun."

Asahi laughed, leaning down and finally closing the gap.

ooooooo

"Wow, this place is so….green," Lev said with a tone of pure amazement. He paused, waving like an excited child as the Diamonds Suit made their way to the palace. The people in the street waved back, staring and pointing at the visiting monarchs with looks of amazement.

Lev grinned, turning to Kenma. "I like this place."

"Then you should've come with us last year," Kuroo smirked, leaning over and keeping his voice low enough not to be overheard. "When we _weren't_ preparing for a war and you could've actually had time to see the city."

"Awww, but last year, Yaku was still teaching me all the boring ruling the kingdom stuff," Lev complained. "This is much more fun! Oh, and I'll actually get to see Suga in person!"

Kenma looked over the crowd impassively, speaking to Lev out of the corner of his mouth. "You already met him in person during the winter festival."

"Yeah, but that was in Diamonds," Lev said, his tone taking on a shade of hero worship he always had when discussing the other mage. "This is in _Spades._ His own home terf. I bet his magical library is _huge._ "

"If you asked, he'd probably let you see it," Kuroo told him, rolling his eyes as Lev's jaw dropped.

"Really?! That would be awesome," Lev sighed happily. "This trip is the best"

Kuroo rode closer to the mage, whacking the side of his head. "Focus on the possible war first _then_ you can fangirl."

Lev's face immediately pulled down into a sulk-an expression that always looked ridiculous on the over six feet tall man and one of the four most powerful mages in the world. "You didn't tell off Kenma for being excited to see Hinata. And we just saw him a few weeks ago!"

"That's because all Kenma's said was 'hmm, it'll be nice to see, Shouyou,'" Kuroo quoted, lapsing into an eerily accurate impression of Kenma's soft monotone before swapping back to glare at Lev. "And you've been going non-stop for the entire three day trip."

Lev sighed, his head falling. "I was just excited to go to my first festival."

Kuroo and Kenma looked at the sad lump of magician before glancing back at each other in silent conversation.

 _You made him sad, so you fix it,_ said Kenma's steady gaze.

Kuroo's lip twitched down. _But, Kenma! He's like a puppy, he'll bounce back soon enough anyway._

Kenma glanced forward at the road before turning back. _Not before we make it to the palace._ An inquisitive look. _Unless, you won't to explain why Heart's Queen is sulking._

A huff of air from Kuroo. _But, it was three days, Kenma. Three. Entire. Days._

Kenma hummed, turning back to the front with an air of finality. _Fix it._

Kuroo sighed.

"Oi, Lev," Kuroo called and Lev looked up, not unlike a puppy hiding behind their paws. "I'm sure that even between the meetings, you'll still have time to ask about the cool magic library or whatever."

Lev immediately brightened. "Seriously?! Cause you know there's this new spell that I think I've got an idea for but I really want to run it through someone else and.."

Kuroo tuned him out because really, there were limits. The Ace of Diamonds rode a bit closer to Kenma.

"Lev was right," Kuroo commented, keeping is voice low. "You are looking more antsy than usual."

Kenma blinked impassively. "We all are."

"True," Kuroo nodded. "Hopefully, in tonight's meeting, we can at least come up with a good strategy."

"I hope we have time," Kenma said, eyes forward. "To plan before acting."

Kuroo tilted his head, observing the small lines of tension around his King's eyes. "Do you think we won't?"

Kenma blinked and the lines smoothed out. "Just a feeling." He turned back to Kuroo. "I presume you're also looking forward to the Aces' Match."

Kuroo gave a smile that had too many teeth to be anything but predatory. "Of course! Been waiting all year!" He met Kenma's eyes and the smile softened. "Think I can convince Tsukishima to actually have _their_ Ace compete?"

"No," came Kenma's flat reply.

Kuroo laughed. "They'll fold eventually and let me have a look at him."

The Ace's eyes briefly flared Diamond red, a clear indicator he was calling up his power. He winked at Kenma and the red died out, leaving behind warm hazel.

Kenma hummed, unimpressed. "You don't even know it's a 'him.'"

Kuroo's smirk grew wider. "Also true, Yukie'd kick my ass for assuming." He lightly jostled Kenma's shoulder. "Hey, speaking of, you gonna bet on me for the Match."

Kenma shook his head. "No, I think I'll go with Clubs this time."

Kuroo whipped around to see a small hint of mischief play behind Kenma's eyes.

"Rude, my King," he huffed fondly.

The corner of Kenma's lip quirked up before the party made it through the castle gates and were interrupted by a loud shout of "KENMA!"

Hinata ran up to the group, beaming before glancing around at the other servants coming to help the group off their horses.

"Er, I mean Your Royal Highnesses." He dropped into a brief if perfectly executed bow. "We are honored to have you in Spades and extend to you the happiest tidings during your stay."

"Nice save," Kuroo teased, leaning forward to give the younger courier a playful flick on the forehead.

"Shouyou," Kenma greeted, accepting a servant's hand to help him dismount from the horse. Once down, he gave Spades' courier one of his rare small smiles.

One day, Kuroo would figure out exactly how Hinata was able to overcome Kenma's shy taciturn nature and become his friend despite only seeing him briefly on official business.

But for now, all Kuroo did was quickly dismount from his own horse while giving the two his trademark smirk.

"Has anyone else arrived yet," Kuroo asked, directing his question at the courier while his eyes followed Lev's less than graceful dismount.

"Yeah, everyone actually." Hinata gave the Suit a significant look. "I think they were all in a hurry to get here."

"Aww, man! You mean we're the last ones here," Lev complained, brushing the dust off his traveling clothes. "I knew we should've left earlier."

Hinata shrugged. "You didn't miss them by much. Bok-er, their Royal Highnesses of Clubs, King Bokuto, Queen Akaashi, and Ace Shirofuku just got here barely thirty minutes ago."

"They in the dining hall yet," Kuroo asked.

"Nope, still in the greeting chamber," Hinata paused, swapping back to the proper formal stance that always made Kuroo want to roll his eyes. "Actually, Your Royal Highnesses, if you would excuse me. I should go prepare for the Suits' Dinner."

The words were polite and perfectly by route but Kuroo still smirked at the mild dread in the courier's eyes. "Tsukishima's still got you wearing that horrible manservant uniform, doesn't he?"

Hinata shuddered. "I swear it gets _worse_ every year."

Kuroo laughed outright while Kenma gave Hinata a sympathetic look. Lev was looking between the three in confusion.

"You'll see later," Kuroo reassured him before turning to Hinata. "You are hereby excused with my _dearest_ blessings."

Hinata huffed, but still dipped into another textbook bow before darting back into the palace.

Once he was gone, Kuroo turned to a servant to inform him that the rest of Diamond's Knights should be arriving within the hour. The Ace of Diamonds then turned back to Kenma. "To the greeting chamber?"

Kenma nodded and one of Spades' pages-a nervous girl with wide eyes, who couldn't be much older than twelve-stepped forward with a bow and offered to direct them.

A few moments later found all three outside a tall arched doorway.

"Thank you," Lev smiled happily at the page, who was still faintly shaking. He muttered a spell and the water in the air condensed down to form a small ice rose laying gently in his palm. The girl's eyes widened and she bowed again, taking the sculpture gently in her palm before turning away.

"Cute," Kuroo complimented and the Mage beamed happily.

Kuroo pushed open the doors of the greeting chamber

"KUROO!" boomed a voice before the Ace was immediately hit hard in the chest.

"Bo," Kuroo answered at only a slightly more reasonable volume, hitting a fist on the other's back.

"Good to see everyone got here safe," Suga called warmly from where he stood, clearly previously engaged in a conversation with Akaashi. "We should be ready for dinner within the hour."

Lev looked over at the two mages before his eyes darted back to Kuroo and Kenma with a pleading look. Kuroo was instantly reminded of the puppy metaphor again.

"Go on," Kuroo said, pushing Lev over to the other Queens.

Looking around the room, it seemed like the entire assembly was held almost impossibly between tense anticipation for the strategy meeting later tonight and a kind of genuine relief and jovial air that always made the Card festivals so enjoyable.

Kenma had already been pulled into a discussion by Tsukishima and Yahaba that the King of Diamonds was handling the discussion with all of his usual conversational tactics-in other words, silent reflection interspersed with a few soft commentaries. As for Kuroo himself, he had-mostly without thought-found himself involved trading knight training techniques with two of his fellow Aces, while Bokuto and Kageyama listened on with interested expressions.

"Nah, you can't start them off with a sword _immediately_ ," Kuroo argued. "They're too clumsy. That's just asking for injuries. Gotta have them build up some muscle first, get them to watch the older knights. Teach them observation skills"

"In Hearts, the new ones practically eat and sleep holding a sword for their first few months," Iwaizumi said, scratching his chin. "Gets them used to it."

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, how many times to they cut themselves on their own sword?"

Iwaizumi shrugged. "Part of learning. Sword's are sharp. They need to know not to mishandle them.

"Harsh," Bokuto accused, but he was ginning while he said it. "And I thought Kuroo was supposed to be the scary Ace."

Iwaizumi chuckled. "Maybe Hearts recruits are just less clumsy than Diamonds."

"Oh ho ho," Kuroo smirked. "A challenge? I guess we'll find out at tomorrow's tournament who's got the best knights." He cocked his head, looking closer at his counterpart. "And, mhmmm, do my delicate ears detect a bit more bite from the Nobel Ace of Hearts then usual?"

"Nothing about you is delicate," Iwaizumi shot back and Bokuto let out a full belly laugh.

"Kuroo's right! You're never this snarky!" Bokuto said. "This is great!"

"Yeah...I must've been hanging around a bad influence," Iwaizumi muttered and for some reason, looked down with an oddly melancholy expression.

Swapping subjects, Kuroo bumped his shoulder amicably into Yukie. "What about Clubs' training? Start with swords or have them earn it first?"

The Ace of Clubs yawned before sedately biting into her apple. "Meh, a bit of both. I always start them on one to one duels. Let's me see what I'm starting with. Then, I divide them up based on that and have them work for the next duel."

"Aww, Yukie! You're leaving out the best part," Bokuto complained. "Tell 'em what happens when there's an uneven number."

"Odd one out duels me," Yukie said lazily. "Good motivator."

Kuroo whistled. "Nevermind, Yukie's the most terrifying Ace now. You lost your title, Iwaizumi."

Iwaizumi hummed unperturbed. "I always thought the Ace of Spades was the one people are afraid of."

Bokuto waved a hand. "That's just because no one knows who they are. The mystery part makes them like five times scarier."

Seeing an opening, Kuroo turned to Kageyama-who had been watching the entire conversation with a small frown. "Want to finally end the mystery? Get your Ace to compete in the Aces' Match?"

Kageyama shook his head. "I can't. I don't know who they are either."

"Wait! Really?"' Bokuto frowned. "Why not?"

"I chose not to," Kageyama muttered uncomfortably. "Tsukishima definitely knows who it is...I think Suga does, too. But…"

The King of Spades trailed off and Yukie stepped in. "So, Kageyama, who's in charge of Spades knights' training. Any good?"

Kageyama looked back up, expression clearing. "Oh, that's…"

The door of the greeting chamber suddenly burst open and a man with short brown clipped hair walked in, eyes flickering around the room.

"Him," Kageyama finished, confused.

"Daichi?" Suga pushed forward to the man with a confused expression. "What's wrong?"

The man-Daichi bent forward to whisper something in the Queen of Spades' ear. Even from across the room, Kuroo could see Suga's face pale.

Daichi leaned back and Suga cleared his throat, turning to the room with a grim expression.

"It would appear we were missing some visitors," Suga announced, tone expressionless. "They should be here momentarily."

"What? Who?!" Lev shouted and the room at large made similar sounds. Tsukishima stepped up beside Suga and they traded a single heavy look before a loud knock echoed through the room.

"That would be them," Suga said, turning once again to the man. "Daichi, would you mind announcing our _guests_."

Daichi paused momentarily before he nodded, striding to the door and pulling it open in one smooth motion.

"Announcing Their Royal Highnesses, King Hyakuzawa Yuta and Crown Prince Hyakuzawa Yudai accompanied by the Hyakuzawan delegation."

A man stepped forward and the room became so deathly still that it could be mistaken for a tomb. At least, if not for the rolling amounts of tension.

In the middle of it all the man-King Hyakuzawa Yuta smiled, eyes sweeping around the room in a decidedly predatory nature.

"Please, excuse my appearing unannounced," King Yuta said, breaking the silence with a surprisingly melodic timber. "I'm afraid I couldn't help myself after years and years of hearing about the Cards festivals."

He lifted a hand up in a calming gesture and the entire room's gaze was drawn to the single gloved right hand. Kuroo's heart hammered and next to him, Iwaizumi made a sharply aborted move to his sword.

"I do hope you will forgive us," the King continued, seeming oblivious to the rising tension. "If it helps, I believe Hyakuzawa will soon be a much closer ally to the Card Kingdoms."

His smile twisted a bit sharper. " _Much_ closer."


	14. Chapter 14

_18 Years Prior_

" _Tobio? Can I come in?"_

 _Sitting in the middle of his parents bed, Kageyama didn't answer._

" _Tobio?"_

 _Kageyama wiped a runny nose on his sleeve but didn't give any other response._

" _Please, My King?"_

 _Kageyama's lip wobbled and he felt tears well up again. He buried his face in his arms. "Don't call me that!"_

 _There was the sound of a door opening and then the feeling of another person beside him._

" _Mind if I sit with you," Suga asked, voice gentle._

 _Kageyama shook his head without looking up._

 _The Queen let him sit in silence for...he didn't know how long-long enough for the light in the room to filter from early afternoon to an orange sunset._

 _Finally, Suga spoke. "It wasn't your fault, Tobio. No one blames you."_

 _Kageyama shivered miserably. "They should though...I'm the reason they're...that they're dead."_

" _Oh, Tobio," Suga breathed and Kageyama felt warm arms wrap around him. He unconsciously leaned into them. "Just because the assassin was after the King doesn't make it your fault."_

" _It does," Kageyama whispered. "If it wasn't for me being King, he never would've been here. He'd never have killed them!"_

" _Tobio," Suga said, shifting so Kageyama could crawl closer. "No one else is ever responsible for the choices of others. Not the assassins choice to wield a blade nor your parent's choice to protect you."_

" _But it_ was _my choice," Kageyama said miserably. "Everyone...even you and Mom told me I shouldn't have Claimed my title yet. That it was unsafe….But I did it and now, they're dead." Tears were now flowing freely and Kageyama's chest hitched painfully. "I don't deserve to be King."_

" _Tobio," Suga admonished, voice still soft. "Don't say that. Of course, you do. It's your destiny."_

 _Kageyama shook his head, burrowing deeper into Suga's chest. "No, I'm not going to let anyone get hurt because of me ever again. So, if that means I never get to be King then...then I just won't."_

 _Suga sighed, holding onto Kageyama tighter. "Things aren't that simple, Tobio. Just rest for now. Get some sleep. I promise I'll be here when you wake up and we can talk more in the morning."_

 _Kageyama nodded because, now that he had stopped crying, his body did feel really heavy._

 _But Suga was wrong about the other part. Kageyama wasn't going to change his mind. Kageyama would either find a way to be King and make sure no one got hurt or he'd never be King at all._

ooooooo

Kageyama was pretty sure that this dinner would go down in history as the most tense meal ever safely consumed by people.

After the disastrous introduction in the greeting chamber, King Yuta had sent off the rest of his entourage-including the Crown Prince-to check in at the stables. This also came with the discomfiting realization that the King had brought a number of Hyakuzawan Knights to "compete in the tournament, of course".

The Suits of Cards and their _guest_ were now most of the way through the longest dinner of Kageyama's life. So far, no one at the table had yet to manage more than three sentence conversations and most of those had been started by King Yuta himself in a way too cheery voice. The Hyakuzawan King seemed to be the only one really enjoying the meal, everyone else only chewing on a few bites before awkwardly scraping their food from one side of the plate to the other. Kageyama hoped that Spades' chef would understand it was the company not the meal that was ruining their appetite.

"More wine, Your Highness," a voice interrupted and Kageyama looked up to one of the few comforts of the evening.

As the official manservant to the Spades Suit, Hinata had flitted around serving the table in what had to be the worst uniform ever to exist. To be fair, the black velvet vest and plain black trousers would have been fairly normal-maybe even elegant with the gold threading and carefully stitched golden spade breast emblem-but the whole ensemble was destroyed by huge poofy gold sleeves that came up almost to Hinata's ears.

It was ridiculous and unflattering and Kageyama really wanted to kiss him.

But, that would probably-um, _definitely_ be inappropriate considering the timing so all Kageyama did was quirk a lip up and hold out his glass.

Hinata held up the wine goblet and was somehow able to maneuver around both the table of food and the sheer volume of sleeves to pour him another glass...which was actually kind of surprising, considering Kageyama knew how clumsy Hinata was just on a day to day basis.

Beside him, Suga cleared his throat and none too gently elbowed him in the ribs.

Kageyama looked up to see that everyone-even King Yuta-had finished their dinner and that the plates and food had finally been cleared from the table.

Kageyama almost bolted out of his seat, holding up his glass so quick it was amazing that no wine spilled out. He winced and, with a little bit more grace, brought his knife to hit against the glass, a bright _cling!_ bringing the room's gaze to him.

He very consciously tried not to swallow as he felt his mouth dry. In the back of the room, Hinata caught his eye and smiled.

Kageyama breathed

"Spades is honored by your presence," Kageyama began, reciting the same words he was required of every year. "We hope that this year, as in years previous, will show the fruits of our labor not just from the Suit of Spades but of all our honored guests as well."

King Yuta held up his glass in silent acknowledgement.

"Now, that the Opening Feast has reached its end and we are all," Kageyama cleared his throat, "humbled and brought closer by a shared meal, we can move on to the Gathering of the Suits."

The entire room shifted uncomfortably, gazes settling on the Hyakuzawan King. The Gathering of the Suits was the much more formal and pretentious title for what basically everyone else called the Suits' meeting, where the monarchs had their first official chance to talk in private before the tournament began the next day. No non-Suit member had ever been allowed to the meeting before.

Of course, the tournaments had never had an uninvited royal guest either.

Suga cleared his throat and looked at the King. "Do you-"

"It seems it's time for me to turn in for the night," King Yuta interrupted. He smiled in a way that was more predatory than friendly. "After all, a good guest knows not to overstep his welcome."

Tsukishima stood up with a tight smile that blatantly ignored the irony of the King's last statement. "Please, allow my Suits' official manservant to show you to your room."

Hinata stepped forward, dropping into a respectful bow before the Hyakuzawan King. Something in Kageyama's chest tightened.

"Thank you for your hospitality." King Yuta stood, allowing Hinata to guide him out of the room.

The door fell closed behind them with all the comfort of a guillotine, leaving only the Cards Suit.

There was a beat of absolute silence before-

"Well, shit," Kuroo swore. "What the ever loving fuck is he trying to play at?"

"Intimidation for one," Tsukishima answered smoothly. "I believe it's safe to say our question of when Hyakuzawa would act has now been answered."

Kenma glanced up, cat-like eyes landing on Tsukishima. "You think he' going to use the tournament to reveal his King of Hearts."

Tsukishima nodded. "It would make sense tactically. A large public area with a large number of Cards' most loyal citizens. It would make denying a Claim of Kingship rather difficult."

"And speaking of Claim," Iwaizumi said, glowering darkly. "Are we going to talk about the Fates cursed glove he was wearing? I thought the idea was he'd chose an ally not tattoo it on his own hand."

"That was the _idea_ back when we thought he was merely trying to supplant the Kings," Tsukishima corrected. "Now that we know he's planning a full scale takeover, it wouldn't matter if he holds both the Hearts and the Hyakuzawan kingship. He's probably not expecting Cards to exist long enough for it to matter."

"We could kill him," Yukie suggested calmly, speaking up for the first time. "He's surrounded by not only all four Aces but also the best knights in Cards. It wouldn't take much, even with his small group of knights."

"We can't," Akaashi said suddenly at the same time as Suga's "That would mean war."

The Queens looked at each other before Akaashi inclined his head, letting Suga take over.

"Killing the Hyakuzawan King while he's here as a peaceful yet _uninvited_ guest would be a very clear act of war," Suga explained. "And one where we'd undoubtedly be seen as the aggressors."

"Does it matter if we're probably going to war anyway," Lev asked, confused. "We know what he's planning. Who cares if it looks like we started it instead of him?"

"The people," Yahaba answered softly. "Trust me, a war's a lot easier to stomach if you believe you're fighting for the right side. Something much more difficult to convince if we kill another country's leader in cold blood."

"Plus there's Nohebi to consider," Tsukishima added. "Technically, they're both Cards and Hyakuzawa's ally but if we go to war, there's no clear indicator which side they'd choose." Tsukishima's lips thinned. "Though, as mentioned, looking like we're randomly killing neighboring monarchs certainly wouldn't help our case."

Bokuto scratched his chin. "What if no one knows Cards killed him?"

"Assassinate him in secret," Kuroo asked, tilting his head and considering.

Bokuto grimaced. "Not really my first choice, but yeah, you think it would work?"

The room looked over to Tsukishima, who was frowning in thought.

"Hyakuzawa does believe our Ace is dead," Tsukishima admitted slowly.

"Wait, what," Kageyama demanded. This was definitely the first time he'd heard that.

Excepting Suga and oddly Kenma, the rest of the group looked to be in similar states of concern and confusion.

Tsukishima waved his hand dismissively. "An assassination attempt that they believed succeeded. Nothing to worry about; the Ace of Spades is fine."

The room relaxed, almost as if an invisible weight had been removed

"Why didn't you mention it before," Iwaizumi asked.

Tsukishima shrugged. "Our Ace wasn't even injured and the entire thing is what finally helped me unravel Hyakuzawa's full plan. There were other things on my mind at the time." Tsukishima shook his head, delaying further questions. "The important thing is that having the Ace of Spades kill King Yuta still puts Cards at too much risk. While the Hyakuzawan King believes the Ace dead, I doubt any others do. Having King Yuta die under mysterious circumstances in the home of a known assassin is basically the same as announcing the culprit in the middle of the town square."

Iwaizumi sighed heavily, sitting back in his chair. "So, we're back to square one. Any more ideas?"

"We need to figure out when he's planning on revealing the fake mark," Kuroo said immediately.

"I'll have our Ace watch him and notify us if the King seems ready to," Tsukishima suggested. "We should be fairly safe the first few days. Since he seems to want to do this publicly, he'll likely wait for the biggest crowd possible" The Jack of Spades paused, considering. "He might even wait until the official Closing. It would be the safest option-guarantees a large crowd but still gets him out quickly before too many questions are asked."

Tsukishima trailed off, talking more to himself than the group at large.

Suga cleared his throat, effortlessly drawing the room's attention. "The only thing we can do now is wait….Which, if you think about it, is the only real option we had even before King Yuta arrived so we're really not in much worse of a place now." Suga brightened slightly. "If anything, this helps us by giving us a more definite assumption on when he'll act along with an opportunity to gather information."

Suga took a moment, letting this slowly sink into the room. "As Tsukishima said, King Yuta is unlikely to act either tomorrow or the next day so we still have time to come up with a better plan. Right now, instead of worrying as a collective, I propose we take a break to recoup and get some sleep. We can talk more during tomorrow's tournament."

Ever since he was a child, Kageyama always thought it was amazing how Suga could size up a room and ease everyone's minds while somehow not dismissing their fears.

The rest of the Cards' Suits as one seemed to realize how late it had gotten-looking up at the clock before rolling shoulders and stretching arms as the days of horseback riding caught up with them.

Kuroo nodded decisively, taking in his and the rest of the Suits' states. "Alright, I agree. Let's take a break from tonight and give the Ace of Spades I chance to spy. But tomorrow, after the knights tournament, we need to come up with a more definite plan." He glanced around the room with serious assessing look in his eye that left no doubt on who was the country's top military strategist. "Cards can't wait much longer."

ooooooo

As soon as he had properly showed King Yuta to the guest suites-a beautiful set of rooms, facing the castle's lake-Hinata practically sprinted out of view, back down the hall and into a dark cramped nook hidden between one hall and the other.

In the dark, Hinata fumbled around and really hoped Yachi had already had time to hide a set of clothes from when he passed her the note during dinner. His fingers hit cloth and Hinata mentally cheered, finally tearing off his fancy royal servant uniform with the way too burdensome sleeves. At least the clothes Yachi brought-regular servants clothes unfortunately, instead of the black Ace of Spades' suit-would be _much_ easier to spy in than his current monstrosity.

And Hinata was absolutely sure that both him and Tsuki were on the same page with spying on the visiting King.

Now if only the clothes Yachi brought could have maybe a few less buttons-where did she even find this?

Finally, with Hinata more or less put together, he pushed out of the nook and ran down the hall and-

Right into someone's chest.

Hinata groaned, looking up.

Prince Hyakuzawa Yudai blinked down at him.

Realizing who it was, the Prince smiled. "We've got to quit meeting like this."

Hinata let out a laugh that was only slightly strained while mentally counting his blessing that Yachi _hadn't_ had time to grab him the Ace of Spades black suit….or come to think of it, that he wasn't still wearing the Spades' manservant uniform as that wouldn't be any easier to explain.

"Um, sorry, to ask this again," the Prince started. "But what are you doing here? Spades is pretty far away from Hyakuzawa's capital."

Hinata licked his lips, brain scrambling for an excuse. "I'm working...I...I travel, remember?"

"R-right." The Prince blushed and Hinata belatedly remembered what it was the Prince thought he did for a living.

"Do you….do you have many clients in Spades, then," the Prince asked, face gradually going more red with every word and glancing down at Hinata's clothes before sharply back to his face.

Hinata followed the gaze down to his shirt and just bit back a very heartfelt sigh at the rushed and misaligned buttoning he'd stumbled through in the dark.

There really was no good way to explain his way out of this, was there?

Hinata took the path of least resistance and resolved once again that Tsuki was _never_ finding out about this.

"Yeah," Hinata answered, smiling brightly. "Not as many as some of the other Card Kingdoms, but I tend to stop by for every festival."

The Prince nodded, maybe a bit too quickly. "And do you...er, like Spades?"

"It's the best," Hinata answered sincerely.

He tilted his head, studying the Prince. "How've you been? Finding out what makes a good King?"

The Prince shifted uncomfortably and Hinata wondered if that had been an awkward question, giving the tension between Cards and Hyakuzawa.

"I-I don't know how well I'm doing," The Prince admitted. "I tried standing up to my uncles a bit more and...well, it didn't go too bad. I think they were more surprised than anything. Some people...some people are harder to talk to than others, you know?"

Hinata nodded slowly, catching the brief and probably unintentional look the Prince threw at King Yuta's room.

"Maybe..." Hinata paused, wondering what was a good servant-ish thing to say. Well, truthfully, a normal servant probably wouldn't be having the conversations that Hinata seemed to stumble into. Screw it, he'd just do what he always did and say what he was thinking.

"Maybe that just means those are the battles you need to fight harder on," Hinata said. "It's like...uh, you know with the knights tournament how sometimes there's that one competitor who gets beaten in like the first round every time and then, everyone's always so down on them?"

The Prince nodded.

"Right, so," Hinata continued, quicker now that he was on a roll. "You're like that!"

"I'm a bad knight," the Prince asked, confused.

"Yeah," Hinata agreed. "But, you don't always have to be. So, back to the tournament, right. A lot of times the bad knights quit right after the tournament and no one ever hears about them again. But then, sometimes, they come back the next year and they're awesome! And everyone's like 'Wow, look at how hard they worked! They must've been training like crazy!' and then, they're like super good and everyone's rooting for them and then, they normally rank high in the end."

"But that only happens sometimes," the Prince broke in.

Hinata nodded. "'Cause the rest of them quit. You're not going to be like that. You're going to be like the other knights, who work hard and are amazing! Because that's what you said before-you said the people were important to you and you were going to fight for them, right?"

"Right," the Prince agreed. "I mean...I am? I mean-"

"You are," Hinata interrupted. "And that's what'll make you a good King-cause you're not going to give up. Like how in the first tournament, the knights who keep working know that losing fights doesn't mean the fights aren't important or that they'll _never_ win." He grinned. "It just means they need to try again and _harder._ "

The Prince blinked, rocking back on his heels with a contemplative look in his eyes.

"...you know," the Prince began. "You're really...well, your really not like any of the other common people I meet."

Hinata laughed. "Yeah, I should probably work on that."

He gave the Prince one last smile and a bow. "I've got to go back to work now. See you later, Prince Yudai!"

With that, Hinata hurried down the hall and around the corner, intent on finding an opening in the ceiling to spy on the King's room.

As he turned the corner, he heard Prince Yudai call out, "Wait, I still didn't get your name!"

Hinata winced and made a mental note to avoid the Prince while he was dressed as a servant. He was already in hot water as it was.

ooooooo

"We need to talk," was the first thing Yahaba said when he slipped into Iwaizumi's rooms later that night.

"Do we," Iwaizumi asked. "About King Yuta? Why? Did you figure something else out?"

"What?" Yahaba frowned. "No, not about that. About Oikawa. Why isn't he here at the meeting? Why did you decide to leave him in Hearts?"

Iwaizumi's heart stuttered painfully in his chest but he tried to ignore it in the face of Yahaba's increasingly confusing questions. "What are you talking about? Why would Oikawa be here? This meeting is for Suits only."

Yahaba leveled him with a flat glare that the Jack normally reserved for Mad Dog. "Because, he's our King. Obviously."

Iwaizumi felt his jaw drop open and he hastily covered it up with a spluttered. "W-what? Of course, he's not! He's-"

"Oh, please." Yahaba rolled his eyes. "You bring in a complete stranger with a conspicuously bandaged hand. _Insist_ he stay in the palace. Actively involve him in financial decisions. And encourage me and Kyotani to get closer to him. It doesn't exactly take a Jack to figure it out."

Iwaizumi laughed ruefully. "That obvious, huh?"

"For your Jack and Queen? Extremely," Yahaba answered dryly. "Now, back to the important question: Why isn't he here so we'd actually have a better chance of cutting off all of this fake King nonsense?"

"It's not that simple," Iwaizumi said, sitting down heavily on his bed.

"Clearly," Yahaba continued. "I already assumed you hadn't gotten him to Claim it yet to keep him safe from the Hyakuzawan assassins. But, now, that we know King Yuta's ready to act, I think it's time."

"I didn't even think about Hyakuzawan assassins," Iwaizumi said, his voice tight. "Shit, they'd kill him if they knew."

"Yeah, I thought that's-" Yahaba shook his head. "Wait, if that's not why, then why hasn't Oikawa Claimed his title?"

"He doesn't want to be King," Iwaizumi answered, face expressionless.

"He doesn't...He has to be King," Yahaba near yelled. "That's what the marks are there for! It's destiny. It's fate. It's practically the only thing that can keep us from being invaded by Hyakuzawa! What do you mean he doesn't want to be King?!"

"Oikawa disagrees," Iwaizumi said flatly. "He doesn't believe in destiny or fate and I...I didn't tell him about Hyakuzawa. Oikawa said he wasn't right to be King and he wouldn't listen-he never listens when I try and-"

"Why didn't you tell him about Hyakuzawa," Yahaba interrupted suddenly. "If anything will convince him, it's that."

Iwaizumi sighed. "I thought we had more time. Also...well, you know Oikawa, he's stubborn and headstrong and hates being controlled but...he loves Hearts more than anything. I can't-I didn't want to tell him and force him to be King just to prevent war. Because he'd do it. I know he would. He'd sacrifice his entire life for even on citizen, let alone the kingdom. But...that wouldn't mean he'd believe he's right for it. He's not...he doesn't believe in fate. If we forced him into it, he'd do it but he'd never think he was right for it...Not really. And it would _kill_ him from the inside out and...and I...I just couldn't…."

Iwaizumi trailed off, without really knowing how the sentence would end. Yahaba was staring at him with the same expression he had for particularly interesting financial calculations.

"Wow," Yahaba said slowly. "You must _really_ love him."

Iwaizumi turned bright red. "What? No, I don't! I've only known him for a month!"

Yahaba shrugged. "Well then whatever you're trying to call it, you've got it _bad_." The Jack rubbed the back of the neck. "I guess it doesn't matter now anyway. King Yuta's already here and it's not like Oikawa could ride all the way from Hearts in time for the festival, even if he left right now. I suppose we're stuck."

"I should've told him about Hyakuzawa," Iwaizumi muttered, glaring at the ground.

"Maybe." Yahaba hummed. "But you had your reasons and _no one_ expected King Yuta to act so soon." Suddenly, Yahaba let out a short bright laugh. "Honestly, it's kind of reassuring."

"What," Iwaizumi grumbled.

Yahaba smiled. "Knowing that even the great Ace of Hearts is still just as stupid as the rest of us when it comes to feelings. It's good, keeps you humble."

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes with a huff, looking up just as Yahaba started to the door.

"Wait a second," Iwaizumi called. "That reminds me. How long have you and Mad Dog been a thing?"

This time, the laugh that Yahaba let out was much louder and _much_ longer.

"About a year," Yahaba answered when he finally calmed down. "I didn't think you'd noticed yet."

"Oikawa told me," Iwaizumi said before frowning. "He said...he said that you can't get that mad at someone unless you want to kill them or kiss them."

When Iwaizumi looked up, Yahaba's mouth was turned up in a fond sort of smile.

"Well," Yahaba said. "I imagine he'd know all about that."

ooooooo

Hinata yawned-wide and sudden-before immediately covering his mouth and glancing down to make sure no one had heard.

Other than a brief check in with Tsuki and changing into his regular black uniform, Hinata had been keeping an eye King Yuta through the entire night and now into the morning. After coming off a previous night of guarding Kageyama, the Ace of Spades would fully admit that he had passed tired and was now veering into exhausted territory.

And it wasn't even like King Yuta had done anything interesting. He currently seemed content in merely watching the tournament-which had just finished the jousting competition and was now setting up for archery.

The Hyakuzawa delegation-minus a few of their knights and the Crown Prince, who had decided to enter the tournament-were set up in a hastily assembled though extravagant tent that was now designated as the Royal Guests section. It was just next to the slightly larger platform reserved for the Cards Suit.

Hinata was perched up in the shadows between the two sections, still carefully watching the Hyakuzawan delegations for any unexpected moods. It was most likely a pointless task as even King Yuta was probably not bold enough to try something in the middle of a public arena, surrounded by knights and easily excited spectators. Especially, since the tournament wouldn't even be a good time to reveal his false mark-not compared to the tonight's later Knight's Banquet or the even larger Tournament Closing and Ball that took place respectively on the next two nights.

Hinata shifted, hearing the wood of the new tent structure creak under him. He might try to see if one of the other spies were available to swap with him. He was getting close to the point where he was about ready to drop on his feet.

Another yawn was building its way in his chest and Hinata quickly put his hands over his mouth trying to stifle it. It still rattled through, though luckily not as loud.

In his crouch, Hinata relaxed slightly and mentally decided that yeah, it was probably time to swap shifts.

 _SNAP!_

Before Hinata could react, the end of the wooden beam broke under him and there was a horrible whooshing feeling before he hit the ground hard-just managing to cushion his landing into a roll to prevent a broken bone.

He shot to his feet, glancing around panicked as he heard a shuffle inside the tent.

 _Crap!_

Hinata didn't have time to move before a head poked out of the tent, followed by the full body of the King of Hyakuzawa.

King Yuta's eyes immediately landed on Hinata, his entirely black outfit conspicuous against the bright green tournament grass.

Time slowed and Hinata saw a moment of surprise and honest puzzlement come across the King's face before it smoothed out into a smirk.

"Well," the King began, "now, what exactly is Spades' spy doing outside my tent? Could it be that-"

"There you are!"

Both Hinata and King Yuta turned as Kuroo came up behind them, casually throwing an arm around Hinata's shoulders.

"You already missed the jousting competition," Kuroo told him, seemingly ignoring the King completely. "We were worried you'd miss the archery one, too, if you didn't hurry your ass up."

Across from them, King Yuta narrowed his eyes. "Oh, are you suggesting that the...notorious Ace of Spades is simply here for the tournament and he thought the best seat would be spying right outside my tent? Curious, that."

Kuroo snorted. "Don't get conceited, Yuta. We're also right next to the Suits' seats. Where else would you expect the Ace of Spades to watch from?" Kuroo tilted his head, eyeing the King of Hyakuzawa with a speculative glint. "Interesting you'd assume he's spying on you, though. Cards normally doesn't spy on our _friends._ We're still friends, aren't we, King Yuta?"

King Yuta smiled blandly. "I certainly hope so."

"As do we all," Kuroo returned, voice just as dry.

"You must forgive my confusion," King Yuta continued. "I simply thought it was...strange to find the Ace of Spades here since I had always heard that he never showed interest in the tournament before. Why I heard he doesn't even participate in the Aces' Match." Yuta hummed. "I wonder if anyone else would find it _strange_ to see the Ace of Spades suddenly so interested in the knight's tournament."

Kuroo shrugged. "Probably not, seeing as the Ace of Spades _is_ competing in the Aces Match this year."

Hinata was suddenly really glad that the mask covered his entire head because he was pretty sure his jaw drop would be a fairly good indicator that he didn't know _what in the Fates, Kuroo was talking about!_

Idly, Kuroo scratched his jaw as Yuta stared at him. "Oh, huh...I guess you wouldn't know that yet, would you, Yuta? Sorry, I forgot you weren't at the Suits' meeting yesterday when we talked about it. We were planning on surprising the people with the announcement at tonight's meeting." Kuroo smiled. "I guess it's alright that you know early though. You know, since our kingdoms are such good friends and all."

This close, Hinata could see the way that Yuta's jaw clenched before the King reigned it in to form a demure smile. "Of course. I'm glad to hear we'll be treated to such a spectacular match tomorrow. I wish you both luck."

The King sighed loudly, glancing out from their tiny alcove and back onto the field. "Well, as much fun as this little talk as been, it looks like I better get back to my seat before the archery competition starts. My son would be so disappointed if it looked like I wasn't there, supporting him."

"We hope you enjoy," Kuroo responded pleasantly. "We should be getting back to our seats as well. Excuse us."

Kuroo and Hinata both waited until Yuta had nodded his head in farewell before Hinata found himself practically manhandled in the direction of the Suits' stands.

"Sorry," Kuroo whispered, once they were out of earshot. "I couldn't think of any other way to get us out of that without a public incident. _Fuck,_ but that was close."

Hinata nodded and almost opened his mouth to reply verbally, but quickly closed it before his voice gave him away as surely as his uncovered face would.

Kuroo noticed the tiny gesture and hummed. "Silent one, eh? Well, Ace of Spades, may I just say it's an _honor_ to finally meet you. And, hate to apologize twice in a row but well...too good an opportunity to miss."

Before Hinata could ask-or, well, gesture-what the other Ace meant, there was a flash of red in Kuroo's eyes and Hinata felt a sinking kind of comprehension as he found himself regarded under the power of the Ace of Diamonds-strength and weakness assessment.

"Huh," Kuroo said, eyes fading back to normal. "Strengths are high in speed, agility, flexibility, and….eyesight? Well, that's an interesting one." Kuroo hummed. "Low in basic sword strength."

Hinata was terrible with swords, it was why Keishin trained him to use knives.

Kuroo winked at him, mouth pulled back in a smirk. "Sorry, but then again I have been waiting to meet you _for years_ and I just saved your ass, so even?"

Hinata didn't have time to answer before Kuroo was pulling him forward, pulling the door open for the private stands of the Card Suits.

"Hey, guys," Kuroo called out. "Look, who I found on my way back from the latrines."

Hinata looked up and for the first time found himself-his real Ace of Spades self-under the eyes of the entire Cards Suits.

"H-" Suga started to say his name before stopping himself and turning it into a noise of surprise at the last second. "What are you doing here?"

Hinata didn't answer, instead taking a moment to quietly asses all the different reactions from the rest of the Suits.

Out of habit, he looked at Kageyama first, who was regarding him with a conflicted kind of curiosity-though nothing that seemed like recognition which made Hinata feel something between relief and resignation. Akaashi, Yahaba, and Iwaizumi all looked more assessing, Iwaizumi obviously trying to size up how he'd be in a fight. Yukie seemed to be of a similar mind, though she did send him a smile when he caught her gaze. How she caught _his_ gaze was still a mystery since the mask did a good job of covering where he looked. Bokuto and Lev's expressions were both edged with an honest, open glee at finally getting a chance to see the Ace of Spades in person. Last, Suga, Tsuki, and Kenma were all looking at him with expressions caught between questioning and worry.

"Found him in between ours and King Yuta's tent," Kuroo explained. "And, trust me, the King didn't look to happy about it."

Now, all the expressions had changed to some degree of concern.

"What happened," Tsuki broke the silence, clearly directing the question at Hinata.

For a second, Hinata hesitated, wondering if Tsuki expected him to respond out loud. Instead, Tsuki glanced pointedly at his hands and Hinata understood.

He brought up his hands, using the old spy signals they were taught as kids to sign for "roof", "break", and "fall".

"The roof of the tent broke and you fell," Tsuki translated correctly, ignoring the looks of confusion from everyone else.

"You fell from the roof," Suga broke in, alarmed. "Are you hurt?"

Hinata shook his head, giving the Queen a thumbs up.

"Did anyone see you fall," Tsuki asked.

Hinata shook his hand, repeating the gesture for "roof" and adding "after".

"The King found you after," Tsuki nodded. "Good. Is the break obvious? Will anyone be able to tell how it broke?"

Hinata shook his head and Tsuki relaxed.

"I think I found them both fairly soon after it happened," Kuroo said and Hinata nodded in confirmation. "I explained that the Ace of Spades was heading here rather than spying on King Yuta." Kuroo's face fell into a rueful look. "There is one small thing, though, that we might have to change…"

"What is it," Suga asked at the same time as Kenma narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Well," Kuroo began, drawing out the word. "It looks like this year, the Aces' Match will have a fuller and more interesting line up than usual. Sorry, couldn't think of any other reason the Ace of Spades would be at the tournament."

There was a moment of silence were all head swiveled to look at Hinata, who fought down an urge to hide in the nearest shadow.

Finally, Tsuki spoke up in a deceptively bland voice. "Hmm, that _will_ be interesting."


	15. Chapter 15

_12 Years Prior_

 _A bead of sweat ran down Hinata's uncovered forehead as he carefully inched another foot forward, struggling to keep his balance. The trademark Ace of Spades' mask had already been forgone after it was soaked through by the damp air that still clung around the Spires of Diamonds._

 _Keishin and Takeda had finally agreed that Hinata was ready to take on missions outside of just Spades and Hinata was determined not to mess this up._

 _And, truthfully, the mission itself hadn't been the problem. He'd already slipped into the home of one of Diamond's renowned chemist and found evidence that the man was indeed selling a new poison on the black market. Takeda would pass on the news to Diamond' knights and let them choose how best to proceed._

 _That is..._ if _Hinata could even find Takeda._

 _The Jack of Spades was supposed to be in the guest suite, here with Suga for Diamonds' winter festival._

 _The challenge was that each of Diamonds roofs looked just as steep and treacherous as the next. Adding to that, an unexpected warm front had moved in the day before so ice had mixed with wet rain making the whole thing a nightmare, even for someone with Hinata's training._

 _The thirteen year old took a steadying breath, readying himself to jump to the next roof over-one that he_ hoped _was nearer to the guest quarters._

 _He jumped and his back foot slid slightly on the ice, unbalancing him and causing him to land hard on the next roof._

 _His hand scrambled to gain balance and he nearly sighed in relief when he gained his footing again to take another step forward._

… _.and land that step right on a patch of black ice._

 _He fell, body sliding off the roof in a free fall._

 _Hinata had a short second to think that ten stories really was a long, long way down before-_

" _Oof."_

 _He landed hard on a balcony just a story below. A sweet, merciful, savior of a balcony._

 _Hinata groaned, rubbing his shoulder and looking around to find a place he could get back on the roof._

 _And instead coming face to face with a pair of large, gold cat like eyes._

 _Hinata tensed, caught, but the eyes just regarded him curiously._

" _You're the Ace of Spades, then," said the owner of the eyes, a boy about Hinata's age with dark black hair hanging down to his shoulders. "I didn't know you made appearances at festivals."_

 _Hinata shot to his feet, hands going to his face as if to confirm that yes, his black hood was still tucked into his uniform and yes, this was the absolute worst situation possible._

 _Tsuki was going to kill him._

" _I'm not the Ace," Hinata shouted but the boy merely blinked, unconvinced. "Okay, I am the Ace but you can't tell ANYONE. Like ever. Please!"_

 _The boy tilted his head, considering. "Why?"_

" _Because it would be like really, really bad for me," Hinata said, holding up his hands to plead with him. "Please, you can't. I'll be in so, so much trouble if anyone finds out you know."_

 _The boy sat quietly and Hinata couldn't help but feel like he was being measured in some way._

" _...Alright, then," the boy said eventually, picking up a book and apparently losing interest in Hinata. "I'll keep your secret."_

" _What? Really?" Hinata asked, coming forward and nearly collapsing on his knees in relief. "You will?"_

" _I don't have any reason not to," the boy agreed, tone expressionless. "Plus, I don't want you to get in trouble."_

" _Oh my gosh, you're like the best person ever. Thank you_ so much _," Hinata gushed, stopping just short of hugging the other boy in gratitude. "I promise I won't forget this. Like ever."_

 _The boy's nose wrinkled and he shifted uncomfortably under Hinata's gratitude. "That's really not necessary. I'm sure others would do the same."_

" _No, seriously, you're amazing," Hinata said sincerely, grinning brightly. "What's your name?"_

 _The boys head jerked up, surprise momentarily clearing his face. "Oh….I thought you knew."_

 _Hinata shook his head, expression eager. "No, am I supposed to? Sorry, this is my first time in Diamonds."_

 _The boy gave him a small smile and Hinata may have been imagining it but the boy looked slightly amused now._

" _I'm Kozume Kenma, King of Diamonds."_

 _ooooooo_

"Alright, let's go over it again," Tsuki announced and Hinata groaned, falling back in his chair. It was already passed midnight and Tsuki was still drilling him on the various fighting styles of the three other Aces. At least, he'd had time for a short nap earlier.

"Are you sure there's not _any_ way I can get out of the Aces' Match," Hinata asked hopelessly.

"Without it resulting in a highly suspicious and possibly embarrassing public incident? No," Tsuki answered flatly.

Hinata groaned louder and Tsuki sighed.

"Trust me, I'm no more happier about this than you," Tsuki said, sitting down behind his desk. "A public well attended fight is about the last thing that I'd want for the country's most prominent spy. It's a terrible, _horrible_ idea."

"But," Hinata asked, warily.

"But," Tsuki continued. "If you're doing this, than we're doing it right and we're ending it _quickly._ We're giving people the absolute minimum opportunity available to assess your skills."

"I could just lose early," Hinata suggested, though he was frowning. Throwing a fight wasn't exactly something he'd enjoy, but he definitely done worse things as the Ace.

"You could," Tsuki said, just as reluctantly. "But that runs its own risk. Part of the Ace of Spade's effectiveness is in reputation. We can't afford you to look weak-even in a fight against other Aces."

Hinata raised an eyebrow, continuing to look at Tsuki.

"Fine," Tsuki admitted, rolling his eyes. "And if you lose quickly, Kuroo will never let me live it down and I want to rub it in his smug face."

Hinata laughed, sitting up and stretching. "Alright then, back to the plan."

"Which is," Tsuki prompted again.

"Hit hard and quick," Hinata answered. "Strike before anyone has a chance to figure out what's happening."

"Exactly," Tsuki nodded, looking down at his notes. "That's the way that will work best to your benefit and least to theirs."

"Assassinations don't really lean towards long fights," Hinata agreed. "Plus, it'll work best with my speed."

"Try not to use the enhanced speed unless absolutely necessary," Tsuki commented. "I want to keep some things hidden. Just stick to enhanced vision, hopefully they'll think that's the extent of your power."

"Anything else I should try to hide," Hinata asked.

Tsuki sat back, thinking. "I'd say avoid close range attacks. But since most of them work with swords, it's unlikely you'll be able to avoid it." Tsuki shrugged. "They'll probably expect you to hesitate going in, since you've never fought in the tournament before."

Hinata sat up suddenly. "Tsuki, I've got an idea."

Tsuki leaned forward at his desk, looking steadily at Hinata. "I'm all ears."

ooooooo

"Hey, could you help me with this," Kageyama asked, gesturing to clasp on the delicate and ornate cloak he was required to wear for observing the Aces' Match.

"Sure," Hinata said, coming to stand in front of him.

Kageyama felt Hinata's fingers brush his neck as he finally secured the clasp, sending goosebumps along Kageyama's skin with every contact.

He looked down to find Hinata smiling at him, slow and warm.

"What," grumbled Kageyama self-consciously. "Does it look stupid or something?"

"Nah," Hinata said, sliding his hand to the back of Kageyama's neck. "The opposite. It really makes you look like a king, you know? Like from the fairy tales."

With that, Hinata reached up on his toes while pulling Kageyama down into a fleeting kiss-like a firework crackling briefly in the night sky.

Kageyama blushed, looking around Hinata to see his reflection in the mirror. He didn't think it looked very kingly, Kageyama was too awkward for that.

But even Kageyama knew that wouldn't be a proper response to a compliment so instead he just went with, "Well, at least I'll look the part I guess."

Hinata hummed. "It doesn't matter about looking the part, you _are_ the part. The rest is just some stupid cloth."

"I thought you liked the stupid cloth." Kageyama frowned.

"I like the person in it more," Hinata replied, looking up to meet Kageyama's eyes. " _He's_ my King."

"Not a very good one," Kageyama muttered before he could stop himself.

"What do you mean," Hinata asked, brows drawing together.

"Nothing."

"No, really. Tell me," Hinata pressed.

Kageyama huffed, taking a step away so he could pace the room and try to find the words. "I..fuck, you see how tense the kingdom is, right? You have to, you were at the dinner with King Yuta."

"Yeah," Hinata said cautiously, leaning back and watching Kageyama pace. "What about it?"

"It's just…" Kageyama sighed, scraping a hand through his hair. "They need a king, a _real_ king and I..I can't...I'm not going to ask anyone to put their lives on the line for me."

"You are their king," Hinata said again, coming and grabbing Kageyama shoulder's to stop him from pacing. "Kageyama, it's not about asking people to put their lines on the line for you. They already are, you can't control that. They made that choice."

"Have they," Kageyama asked, breathing heavily. "They shouldn't. I'm not...I can't. All I do is stay in the castle and read all day. Hinata, how can I lead them from that?"

"You read to _help them_ ," Hinata emphasized. "You've literally spent your entire life dedicated to them. What does it matter that you spent a lot of it up here?"

"It matters because I don't want them to die," Kageyama shouted, hands balling into fists. "I thought I could be a proper king when I was a kid. I thought I _was_ a proper king….but I was wrong and I wasn't and I was selfish and...and they _died_ and I thought," he closed his eyes, "I knew staying here and reading would never be enough. I knew that stopping Tsukishima and Suga from telling me what was going on wouldn't help me become a king. I knew and...I was okay with that because I know that I can't _be_ a proper king but I," Kageyama opened his eyes to find Hinata staring at him, "but I knew that way I wouldn't hurt anyone. That no one would throw their lives away on me and that made it okay."

"Tobio," Hinata began softly.

Kageyama shook his head. "But it's not like that anymore. The kingdoms going to war and they need me to be king and...I don't...I don't know how and I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

"Tobio," Hinata repeated and this time, he pulled Kageyama's head to face him with burning amber eyes meeting is. "You. Are. King. No matter how much you wish it, that's not going to change. Staying up here doesn't protect anyone, it just means they don't get the chance to see who they're fighting for."

"But I…" Kageyama leaned forward until his forehead rested on Hinata's. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to keep them safe."

"No one does," Hinata said, hand moving forward to rub a thumb under Kageyama's eye. "And there's hardly ever a way to keep everyone safe. And that...that's always going to suck. But, that doesn't mean we can stop trying. It doesn't even mean you're doing something wrong. Sometimes these things just happen and people suffer and you gotta keep getting up, even when it hurts. Because, getting up and trying's the only way you can find the way through."

"But, hey, that doesn't mean you have to make those choices alone," Hinata said, leaning up to place a kiss softly on Kageyama's lips. "You've still got Tsuki and Suga and Yachi and the Cards Suits and...and me. I'm with you until the end of the world."

Kageyama breathed out, shifting their positions until he was holding Hinata to his chest.

"And you know what else," Hinata asked, not waiting for Kageyama to answer. "I think you know a lot more than you think."

"That doesn't make sense," Kageyama grumbled, with some of his usual gruffness.

Hinata laughed, pulling back and regarding Kageyama with a serious expression.

"Hey, just promise me one thing, okay?"

"Okay," Kageyama agreed, because when it got right down to it, he would've promised Hinata the world.

"You can't stop people from being hurt. It's their choice. Whatever happens, you're their leader and they're going to reach out to you. Promise me that when they do, when you see them reaching out...Promise me that you'll reach back."

Kageyama nodded slowly and Hinata smiled, burrowing back into his chest.

In a bit, Kageyama would have to pull back, would have to go and meet with the rest of the Suits to watch the tournament. But for right now, for a second, Kageyama stayed right where he was and held Hinata.

Because when he was with Hinata, Kageyama felt invincible.

ooooooo

In the private stands of the Card Suits, Suga looked out on the Knights Melee which had now been whittled down to the final two-a younger warrior from Hearts and Tanaka, one of Daichi's lieutenants.

Normally, Suga believed Tanaka could handle the younger Hearts Knight with relative ease-no matter how talented the young man seemed. However, Tanaka had only just emerged the victor from a longer and much more closely fought battle with Diamonds Lieutenant Yamamoto and he was still obviously weary.

Like a magnet, Suga's eyes were drawn to the side of the arena where Daichi watched the match with a kind of fierce pride that made Suga's breath catch. Spade's captain had decided not to compete this year ostensibly to monitor the newer recruits, though Suga suspected it was more to do with Daichi wanting to be rested and watchful after his discussion with Suga had alerted him to tensions surrounding the festival.

It seemed everyone in Spades was doing their part. Suga was pretty sure Yachi was working at her full capacity and then some, maintaining her role as the Jack's assistant _and_ running the castle through the festival. Both Tsukishima and Hinata seemed to be taken with a sort of focused energy, an intensity not unlike the type Suga saw in hunting birds. Even Kageyama seemed to be preparing for some kind of decision.

It made Suga feel simultaneously deeply humbled and unbearably weary. The Queen was not the young mage he once was. Not his body, his body was still as strong as ever and his mind just as sharp. His heart, though? Suga found more and more that his heart ached at the thought of moving on again. Of moving past this generation's Suit that had become dearer to him than any before.

Suga's life would always be dedicated to Spades. Nothing, neither magic nor man, could ever change that. But, Suga now found himself less sure about what that should mean.

A cheer rose up from the crowd and Suga looked up to see Tanaka's sword had been knocked from his hand, the lieutenant's expression of surprise slowly morphing into a resigned acknowledgement.

He straightened, giving a grin to his opponent while gripping his hand. Tanaka's mouth moved and, though Suga couldn't make the words out from this far away, he'd be willing to bet it was an offer of a rematch.

The young Hearts knight was breathing heavily and, if anything, looked more shocked to have won than Tanaka was to lose. Quickly his training took over-the long hours that Iwaizumi worked into all knights under his purview-and he gripped Tanaka's hand back and nodded.

Yachi's voice rang out across the arena-volume aided partly due to a minor bit of magic Suga had placed before the match.

"Runner Up in the Knights Melee is Spades Lieutenant Tanaka Ryunosuke. Winner of the Knights Melee is Hearts' Cadet Kunimi Akira. Both Knights will now show honor to their Suit."

This was a common yet boring tradition after every tournament event-a small motion of recognition before the major acknowledgement at the tournament's closing. The tradition originally came back from the early days of the tournament, and consequently the early days of the Card Kingdom, where new warriors would bow before their king as a show of loyalty and fidelity to their Suit. With years between now and the last true war, the act had more become a mere nod to the past than anything.

As the runner up, Tanaka went first and came forward to take a knee directly in front of where Kageyama sat in the Card Suits stands.

Kageyama stepped forward, lowering his ceremonial sword until the sharp edge of the blade rested on Tanaka's left shoulder-closest to his heart. A beat passed while Kageyama made sure to hold strong on the sword, less the weight of it actually cut down into Tanaka's shoulder.

Slowly, the blade rose again and Tanaka stood with a nod. "My loyalty to my Suit."

"Fight well," Kageyama said as the traditional rejoinder

Tanaka backed up to let Kunimi come forward and repeat the same process under Yahaba.

The crowd applauded again and Yachi's voice once again broke through.

"We will now clear and ready the field for the Aces' Match."

A low rush of excited murmurs broke through the crowd. The announcement that Spades' Ace would be competing this year had been given last night at the banquet and, as a result, the stands were now packed to maximum capacity with nearly all of Spades' residents stuck among the rest of the Cards' guests to see their legendary and mysterious Ace in person.

The Spades' Suit was less thrilled, but had unanimously decided to make the best out of a bad situation. Besides, there was _one_ thing that Suga was unabashedly looking forward to.

The field cleared and a heavy curtain fell over the Cards Suits stand, blocking the section from view of the arena and giving the Suits some form of privacy.

The Aces had all already gone off to prepare but the rest of the attending Suits were already present.

Yahaba, Jack of Hearts and Master of Finances, stepped forward with a single hand clap. "Alright, time's here. Everyone place your bets."

On Suga's side, Lev leaned over and whispered in his ear. "What's going on?"

Suga grinned, replying under his breath. "The Suits have all taken to betting individually on which Ace will win the match."

Lev frowned. "But, won't everyone just bet on their own Ace?"

"Sometimes," Suga agreed, smile taking on a sharp edge. "But not always. After all, this will be the first year _our_ Ace is competing."

"But, I didn't bring any money," Lev said before his eyes widened. "I don't even think I _have_ money."

By now, Yahaba had overheard their conversation and snorted. "Don't worry, we're not quite so irresponsible to bet our own taxpayers money."

"Then what do you bet," Lev asked.

"Favors occasionally," Akaashi answered. "Suga and I will sometimes bet books. But mostly we bet-"

"Booze," Bokuto said with a laugh. "We bet some our kingdom's specialty alcohol and then exchange it at the Fall Festival in Clubs. It's why our festival is known for the biggest party!"

"And the biggest hangovers," Tsukishima said with an eye roll.

"Yes, yes," Yahaba said quickly, drawing back attention while he pulled out a small scroll. "Now, I'll start first with a case of rum on Iwaizumi winning. Anyone else want to bet on Hearts?"

No one else made a motion so Yahaba shrugged and moved on. "Your loss. Next, Shirofuku Yukie the Ace of Clubs. Anyone for Yukie?"

"Case of brandy from me," Bokuto called. "She'd kill me if I didn't."

"Double that." Akaashi nodded. "Two cases of brandy from Clubs for Yukie to win."

Yahaba made a note. "Okay, let's do Diamonds with Kuroo."

"Um…" Lev stuttered with uncertainty. "A case of vodka then?"

"Case of vodka on Kuroo, then," Yahaba said before tuning to Kenma. "You going to add to it?"

Kenma gave a small smile and shook his head. "Not this year."

The entire group looked to the King of Diamonds before Yahaba finally shrugged and moved on. "Last, we have our hosts with our first time competitor, the Ace of Spades."

"Two cases of Spades whiskey," Tsukishima said when the last syllable had barely left Yahaba's mouth.

"Make that four." Suga smiled, not even a beat after.

"And a case of Diamonds vodka," came Kenma's soft voice in the proceeding quiet.

The rest of the Suits stared open mouthed at three leaders until finally, Bokuto let out a loud booming laugh.

"Wow, Kenma," Bokuto said, a smile bright on his face. "What in the Fates has Kuroo done to piss you off recently?"

Kenma's face was expressionless but a small amount of mischief played in his eyes. "Nothing, I just thought I should bet on a friend given the rare opportunity to see them compete."

The room stilled at the mention of "friend" in conjunction with the Ace of Spades and Tsukishima let out a loud sigh, rolling his eyes. "I _knew_ he had told you."

"Aww, Kenma, how come you didn't tell us you knew who the Ace of Spades was," Lev pouted. "How did you find out?"

Kenma ignored him, sipping slowly from his wine.

"That is an _excellent_ question for a later time," Suga said firmly. "But, for now, I think we have another bet to place. Yahaba?"

"Huh," The Jack of Hearts said, turning his head away from Kenma to where Suga was gesturing. "Oh, right, Kageyama want to place a bet?"

"A case on the Ace of Spades, I guess," Kageyama said, voice absent and eyes still flickering between Tsukishima and Suga.

Yahaba nodded. "Alright so that's one case on Iwaizumi, one case on Kuroo, two cases on Yukie, and _six_ of the Ace of Spades. Anyone want to add any or change their bet?"

"I think we've had enough surprise bets already," Akaashi remarked dryly.

"Then bets are closed," Yahaba said, peeking behind the curtain. "And just in time, it looks like there almost set up."

Suga smiled, taking a moment to whisper to Kageyama at a volume he made sure wouldn't carry. "Watch closely. From what Tsukishima told me, it should be an entertaining match."

ooooooo

"Asahi, hurry up, he's going to be late," Noya called from where he sat, watching Hinata finish up the last of his warm up exercises.

Asahi huffed, hurrying down the stairs and carrying a large leather pouch. "Well, I would've had more time to sharpen them if someone didn't _insist_ on coming back here between the matches."

"Asahi, how mean," Noya said, grinning. "Here I am a poor feeble man….no, worse, a fallen soldier, who just wanted to wish my brave comrade luck before his most challenging of battles and here you are complaining about my encouragements."

Asahi raised a single unimpressed eyebrow. "No, I'm complaining because instead of staying with Kiyoko in the soft, padded, and _safe_ seating we put together, you used me to limp back here-which can't be good for your stitches-so you could tell Shouyou about the Knight's Melee."

Noya rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "But, it was a really _cool_ melee. So much better than last year." He looked up at Asahi with large eyes. "You didn't really mind that much, did you?"

Asahi's face softened, leaning down to run a hand through Noya's hair. "No."

"Good," Noya smiled and then turned to yell. "Hinata, come on! Asahi's done with the knives."

Like a ghost, Hinata dropped down from the darkness of the ceiling to land quietly in a crouch between Asahi and Noya. "Awesome, is it time?"

"Almost," Asahi said, carefully unrolling the leather on the table to reveal a set of freshly sharpened knives. Hinata reached down automatically, but Asahi grabbed his hand.

"You'll want the half on the left, the ones on the right I've already poisoned. _Definitely_ don't want to use those in a friendly match against Aces."

Hinata nodded, grabbing the appropriate knives and slipping them into various places in his black uniform. After a second hesitation, he grabbed one on the right to and slipped it away for outside of the tournament.

"These are the ones for the plan," Hinata asked, just to make sure.

"Picked them out carefully," Asahi answered.

The sound of a horn echoed through the tower and Hinata grimace, face settling into an expression of intense focus before he slipped the mask on. With the black hood covering the entirety of Hinata's head, Asahi always found the change in appearance startling-the shift from the soft messy orange hair of the friendly Hinata to the dangerous Ace, dressed in black from head to toe.

"Guess it's time," Hinata said.

"Good luck, Shouyou!" Noya beamed. "We'll be cheering for you!"

"Discreetly," Asahi agreed

Hinata nodded, slipping out of the tower and heading down to the arena.

By the time he got there, the rest of the Aces had already arrived and were waiting in the shadow of the stadiums to be called. Hinata joined them.

"Oh ho ho, so it looks like our final Ace has decided to join us," Kuroo said, giving him a wink. "Thought you may have been trying to skip out on us. Not that I can blame you, I suppose."

It was so almost instinctual for Hinata to grin and throw back a teasing reply like he would as a servant, that he had to bite down on his tongue to only offer a head shake instead.

"Sorry you got basically forced into this," Iwaizumi offering, rolling his shoulders in preparation for the match. "If you want, we'll try to get you out as early as possible."

This time Hinata did grin-not that they could see it-and shook his head, giving them two thumbs up instead.

Yukie laughed, mouth settling into a Cheshire grin. "Planning to give it your all then. Good! It's a honor to fight you, Ace of Spades!"

Hinata didn't know what gesture he could mime in response so it was luck that Yachi's announcement cut them off.

"The field is now ready. Citizens of Cards, may I present to you-the Aces!"

The Aces filed into the arena-Iwaizumi leading as the champion of last year's tournament and Hinata bringing up the rear as the newcomer. A hush fell over the crowd and Hinata tried not to shift uncomfortably as thousands of eyes fell on him while he made his way to the corner.

In the background, Yachi was continuing the announcements by naming all the Aces before ending conspicuously with just Hinata's title.

"Is that really him," a child's voice filtered over the crowd to reach Hinata's ears.

Hinata pressed his lips together, trying to block out the background spectators and focus solely on the task at hand. For someone so used to working in the dark, the spectators made him feel unbalanced.

"The Queens will now come to gentle the blades," Yachi announced, right before Lev, Akaashi, and Suga filed into the arena.

Akaashi came to stand before him and Hinata took a moment to find all his various blades to hand over to Akaashi. By the end, there were almost more than Hinata could comfortably hold.

Akaashi raised a single eyebrow, looking more amused than anything as he cast a spell over Hinata's blades to make them non-lethal for the match. All of the Aces' weapons, while remaining unchanged physically, would now leave a colored mark when hitting skin rather than wounding.

When he finished, Akaashi handed the blades back to Hinata to hide back before leaned closer to whisper in Hinata's ear, low enough so he wouldn't be overheard by the audience.

"Be careful."

Hinata nodded and for a second, he was sure they both felt the weight of eyes coming from the Hyakuzawan tent.

Akaashi smiled, stepping aside and walking back to the Cards Suits' section. Around the arena, Hinata noticed that Lev had already finished with Yukie's sword while Suga was done with both Iwaizumi and Kuroo.

In a few seconds, only the Aces remained-each positioned at separate ends of the circle. Wood planks surrounded the circles edges, forming a wall with the spectators' seating build on top. The only section that remained at eye level was the Cards Suits section along with the newly built Hyakuzawa tent.

Hinata closed his eyes and took a breath, mentally clearing his mind and focusing on the upcoming fight.

The others would be safe. His knives were spelled so they couldn't seriously hurt anyone, even if he wanted to. Which meant...he could act how he was trained to.

And Hinata wasn't trained to fight.

...Hinata was trained to kill.

"BEGIN!" Yachi called out.

He opened his eyes.

Each Ace was slowly regarding the others, trying to predict who would act first.

Hinata rolled his shoulders, portraying easy slow gestures that looked relaxed under a quick glance. No reason to make them suspicious by tensing up.

Across from Hinata and watching the others carefully, Iwaizumi took the first considering step to the center of the arena-when he'd have the best focus point but simultaneously put himself in the most vulnerable position.

 _Iwaizumi normally acts first,_ Tsuki's voice rang in his head. _Use that to your advantage._

And Hinata did, waiting….waiting until finally, Iwaizumi finished scanning over him and moved on to Yukie.

Hinata sprinted directly at Iwaizumi, feeling the momentum build behind him with every step.

But Iwaizumi wasn't an Ace for nothing, quickly turning back and readying his sword in front of him as soon as he registered his movement.

Hinata didn't hesitate even a second in his advance-he couldn't if this was going to work.

As if in slow motion, he saw Iwaizumi frown in confusion pulling back his sword to swing across at Hinata's unprotected side at the exact moment Hinata got in his range.

The swing would have worked beautifully….if Hinata's body was still there.

A millisecond before, Hinata pulled down in a slide-the momentum pushing him just past Iwaizumi as he felt the sword brush harmlessly over his head.

Before anyone could react, Hinata pushed forward folding over his feet and using the impact to spring himself off using his hands.

Taking a brief glance behind him at Iwaizumi's unprotected back, Hinata twisted in the air until his legs knees clenched right around Iwaizumi's neck.

The Ace of Hearts made a startled choking sound and then did exactly what Hinata expected, what they were planning on.

He turned heavily, trying to swing Hinata off his back.

Hinata smiled, swinging down Iwaizumi back and clenching his knees tighter as the man twisted more violently, slapping at Hinata's legs as he did.

Hinata felt for the moment when Iwaizumi struggling finally gave him enough push...and….there.

In a second, three things happened.

First; Hinata twisted his back to give himself enough torque to pull back and ram his left knee hard into Iwaizumi's cheek.

Second; Iwaizumi lost his balance with the blow and pitched to the right, further twisting Hinata's body until the force had him suspended almost perpendicular to the ground below.

Three; Hinata used that force to release the two knives he'd been holding and aimed them directly at Yukie and Kuroo, watching from opposite ends of the arena.

The second ended and Hinata didn't check to see if the knives found their marks. Instead, he pushed off of Iwaizumi and landed in a more controlled crouch, next to the gasping Ace.

Iwaizumi's eyes widened and he reached for his sword, right before Hinata slid out his third knife and ran it across his throat.

A black mark like soot shone across the Ace of Heart's throat, signalling his removal from the game.

Iwaizumi groaned sounding slightly hoarse, rubbing at his throat while the bruise on his face was already healing. He nodded once to Hinata, moving to the side of the arena.

Hinata looked up and saw that both Yukie and Kuroo had survived the knife throws….which was rather unfortunate, Tsuki had expected at least one would be too slow to react in time.

Both knives were embedded in the walls behind them and the only sign of their passage was a dark mark across one of Kuroo's cheek, where he'd been too slow to dodge entirely.

After his display with Iwaizumi, Yukie had clearly decided she'd had enough time to observe his skills and was now advancing full tilt with her own sword already raised.

Hinata grimaced, remembering Tsuki's assessment.

 _Of all the Aces, Yukie's your worst match. Her precognitive ability will make it nearly impossible to use sneak attacks and will counter out a lot of your speed. Add to that, she's well-trained and ruthless when she needs to be._

Hinata slid out another knife and moved into a defensive position, a knife in each hand to counter Yukie's sword.

Yukie smiled, a scent of anticipation in her eyes not unlike a bloodhound catching a scent.

The sword swung and Hinata moved quickly, activating his own Ace's power so that his eyes could catch her movements.

 _There are two good things about fighting Yukie,_ Tsuki had said. _While she's your worst match, you're hers, too. Your eyesight should help you keep up, even when she's working one move ahead._

Even without the precognitive abilities, Yukie _clearly_ didn't lack anything in speed or ability. Hinata frowned as he dodged around her sword before his knife could deflect it.

Hinata didn't like drawn out blow by blow battles. They weren't his area. In fact, they were the complete opposite of his usual one calculated, unexpected strike.

Yukie was better than him at this and she knew it, smile growing fiercer as Hinata slowly maneuvered backwards.

A stronger swing than usual and one of Hinata's knives was knocked out of his hand.

Yukie advanced forward, sword already poised for the next blow.

 _What's the other good thing,_ Hinata had asked.

 _The other good thing,_ Tsuki smirked, _is that you're not facing her alone._

Before her sword could come down, Yukie's eyes widened and she swore. She turned on her heel to a smirking Kuroo, allowing Hinata to see the black mark slashed across her back.

 _I have a theory that Yukie can't see multiple futures at once,_ Tsuki had said, leaning back in his chair. _Get her focused on you, aim her back to Kuroo, and make sure you both look suitably vulnerable. I guarantee that Kuroo won't let the opportunity pass._

"Sorry, Shirofuku," Kuroo shrugged, unrepentant, "I couldn't let you have _all_ the fun with our new Ace."

Yukie raised one disbelieving eyebrow but stepped to the side, leaving the arena.

Hinata used the distraction to pick up his other knife and evaluate the terrain. They were at the north side of the arena, almost against the wall.

Perfect.

Hinata backed up, putting them a step closer to the wall if Kuroo chose to advance.

Of all the Aces, Kuroo was the only one other than Hinata that preferred a weapon other than a sword. However, unlike Hinata's knives, Kuroo's archery didn't translate nearly as well to the closed arena of the Aces' Match, forcing him to use a sword instead.

Take an Ace who was already used to long distance and pin him in with a wall at one side and Kuroo was at even more of a disadvantage.

A sharp sword thrust interrupted Hinata's thinking and he dived to the side-almost hitting against the wall-to dodge a thrust that would have hit right below his ribs.

Of course, even at a disadvantage, it still didn't mean the Ace of Diamonds was easy prey. And there was a reason he was nicknamed the "Chessmaster".

Another swipe with Hinata actually brushing against the wall to avoid it and Kuroo's strategy became clear.

He was using Hinata's plan against him, attempting to pin Hinata to the wall instead.

And it would have worked if Hinata was just a bit less trained in operating under tight constraints.

Hinata twisted his hand, throwing his left hand knife at point blank range and aimed directly at Kuroo's chest.

Kuroo eyes went wide, backing up a step so that the knife passed over his neck.

Hinata threw the other knife before Kuroo could recover.

Cursing, Kuroo backed up another step while twisting to the side. In the next move, his sword came up ready to attack while Hinata was defenseless.

Hinata was already ready with a knife he pulled from a sheath hidden on his thigh.

Kuroo ducked again, bringing up the sword to deflect the next knife throw.

"How many knives do you _have?_ "

Pulling out his last knife, Hinata made to throw it at Kuroo's left side while keeping up his Ace power to view the next second in vivid detail.

Kuroo's right foot moved back into a defensive step while the sword swung left, readying to deflect the next knife.

Hinata sidestepped with one foot, keeping the knife clutched in his hand. His back foot hit against the wall, giving him force to launch quickly at Kuroo's unprotected right shoulder.

Slowly, as if watching someone move through water, Hinata saw Kuroo's shoulder drop to try to avoid Hinata latching onto his shoulders like he'd done with Iwaizumi.

But instead of his legs, Hinata's free hand made contact and pushed off.

Hinata somersaulted over Kuroo's shoulder, landing safely in a crouch a few feet away from Kuroo's back.

Kuroo spun around, already ready for the next attack.

Straightening, Hinata held up empty hands and nodded to the ground where the last knife was embedded between them.

Kuroo's eyes widened, looking down and then….

Kuroo snorted, tilting his leg to show the slash in the fabric around his upper thigh. Below the slash was a dark black mark, easily discernible even from Hinata's distance.

"A cut to the femoral artery feels so anticlimactic," Kuroo complained, cocking his head. "You threw this before you jumped, didn't you?"

Kuroo nodded to himself before Hinata could answer, turning to the crowd and lowering his weapon in a clear sign of defeat.

Around them, the crowd was absolutely silent, watching until….

The quiet broke and, almost at once, the crowd was on their feet-loud cheers roaring over Yachi announcing the end of the match.

Hinata tensed, feeling the eyes on him that he tried to ignore all through the fight.

Beside him, Kuroo came closer and leaned over to whisper, "It was a good match. Just relax and let Spades cheer on their Ace for once."

Hinata nodded and belatedly held up a hand, waving once at the crowd and receiving an almost deafening answer back.

Finally, the cheers died down and Yachi's voice rang out over the stadium.

"Runner Up in the Aces' Match is His Royal Highness and the Ace of Diamonds, Kuroo Tetsuro."

A smaller but still fierce cheer came up from the crowd as all of Cards honored the runner up.

"Winner of the Aces' Match is His Royal Highness, the Ace of Spades. Both Aces will now show honor to their Suit."

Kuroo nodded once again to Hinata before striding forward almost catlike to the rest of the Suit, Kenma in the front with Diamonds' ceremonial sword.

Hinata watched as Kuroo went to a knee, giving Kenma a wink.

The sword lowered down until the sharp edge of the blade hit Kuroo's shoulder while the flat glinted against the sun.

Hinata's breath caught as an idea took shape.

"My loyalty to my Suit," Kuroo intoned, face open and sincere for once.

"Fight well," Kenma answered.

Kuroo got up, moving back to stand next to Hinata.

"I'll be waiting for our rematch." Kuroo grinned and Hinata moved forward slowly, almost in a trance.

When he got in front of the stand, he dropped down on one knee and looked up just as Kuroo had done before him.

Kageyama stood before him and Hinata's heart clenched almost painfully.

His King looked both so undeniably regal and yet...still so heartbreakingly hesitant. Kageyama's lip was tuned down, in thought more than any upset. The sun was shining off his hair, catching it and making it look almost blue. His shoulders were back straight-the natural authoritativeness that he'd never been fully able to suppress now showing in his stance. The distance and the angle didn't allow Hinata to see the blue of his eyes, but the firmness was still there and cut Hinata right to the center.

All the innate grace, the restrained power, and still the hesitance on whether he was ready to use it.

In that moment, the core of Hinata's soul-the unwavering force that marked him as Ace-decided that wouldn't do.

The edge of the blade landed on Hinata's shoulder and for a single second, he could see the black of his mask reflected against the flat.

Hinata's hand shot up, grabbing the blade before Kageyama could lift it.

The stadium-audience and even the rest of the Suits-froze.

In the current tradition, the sharp edge of the blade was directed to the shoulder to be close to the heart as a show of loyalty.

This wasn't the only option.

There were two other moves the knight could make-each gesture expressing a different meaning.

The first was for the knight to grab the sword blade and lift it away from their shoulder. A dismissal that roughly translated to, _my loyalty is not yours to command._

The other…

Hinata slowly tilted the blade until the flat rested against his shoulder while the edge faced his neck.

Through the length of the blade, he felt more than saw Kageyama tensed.

Hinata dropped the blade, lifting his fingers to the mask and pulling it up and inch to expose a sliver of his neck.

The second gesture, the most archaic, barred the neck to the edge of the knife in a sign that said…

 _My life is yours._

It was the truest and deepest way to show fidelity. A public vow that your life was entirely dedicated to the service of the sword wielder, to use or discard as they wish.

Under the mask, Hinata raised his eyes to see Kageyama still frozen.

Hinata's heart stilled in his chest and he prayed that Kageyama would actually keep the promise he'd made to him earlier.

Unlike the other gestures, this one actually required a response from the King.

The King could-and Hinata, by now, desperately hoped he would-use the edge of the knife to make a small cut on the neck, a sign that the vow was accepted.

The other reaction was removing the sword without acting-a sign of rejection that meant the life offered wasn't worth accepting.

It would be a _spectacularly_ bad move to make, in front of an audience that had just watched Hinata win against his fellow Aces.

The stadium stood still and Hinata watched the emotions flicker across Kageyama's face, faster than he could register.

Finally, Kageyama's face settled in a way that Hinata knew he'd made some kind of decision, though the firm set of his jaw gave no hint on which choice it was.

The sword shuddered as Kageyama's grip on it firmed.

The weight of the sword lifted off his shoulder and he felt his heart drop before-

A bright flash of pain and Hinata felt a drop of blood roll down his neck.

Hinata raised and a hand to his neck, feeling the wetness of blood before he rolled his mask back down over it.

He looked up to Kageyama, who was looking down at him with a grim acceptance.

Hinata couldn't speak-was not sure how well he'd be able to even if he was allowed-so in the silence of the arena, he lifted a hand to his heart before offering an open palm to his King.

"My loyalty to my Suit," Tsuki translated for him, standing behind one of Kageyama's shoulders.

Kageyama nodded and, for a long second, firm blue eyes looked down into a pair of masked amber.

"Fight well."

ooooooo

A/N: As always, thank you guys SO MUCH for all your support! Okay, now for some bad news and good news. Bad News: No new chapter next week while I finish some projects that are coming due soon in RL. Sorry about this, guys, trust me I really, really hate to miss a week especially so close to the end of this story. Good News: With the exception of extremely unforeseen happenings, this should be the last time I have to skip a week before this story is finished. The next chapter is the first of the finale chapters!


	16. Chapter 16

_12 Years Prior_

 _Iwaizumi took a breath. Then, another._

 _The afternoon sun beat down on the debris covered cobblestone and it felt abruptly, to Iwaizumi, like he had stepped into a different world._

 _Years of war, of dirt and blood, of sneak attacks, and fighting at a moment's notice and now….and now?_

 _The False Ace was dead. The False Queen, too._

 _The war was over._

 _Yesterday morning-the day that Iwaizumi and Watari and everyone else had finally confronted the former Ace, when Iwaizumi had finally killed him-there had been no thought. The news was announced and then there was celebration, an entire day and night filled with drinking and laughing and crying and stupid utter_ relief.

 _Now, it was the day after. Now, a few brave citizens were slowly making their way back to the capital-uneasy and looking around as if they didn't really know what they could trust yet._

 _Now, came the slow, sinking, dizzying realization that Hearts didn't have anyone leading it. That their entire Suit was dead and no one had risen to replace them._

 _It almost wasn't fair, Iwaizumi thought before a much more certain,_ No, this isn't fair.

 _Hearts was finally at peace, they had fought through the stomach of a monster and came out bloody and bruised but victorious. But, now, not even a day after, Iwaizumi could feel it rising in his bones again. The uncertainty and the fear that could quickly be wielded like a knife in the wrong hands._

Power, _his grandfather once told him,_ can never cease to exist. It may move and a source may be destroyed. But power will always remain.

 _There could never be a true absence of power, not for long, a new power would always rise up to take its place._

 _And what was Hearts without its Suit? What was any of the Card Kingdoms without those destined to rule them?_

 _No one knew and that's why the fear was there. Because if nothing was done, then something would surely rise to take the Suits place and the Hearts kingdom had already fought two false leaders._

 _But Iwaizumi….Iwaizumi was fifteen. Iwaizumi was fifteen with a Mark on his hand but no idea how to lead._

 _In fact, all it really seemed he did know was fighting and listening to people who knew more than him. Well, no, he knew that and he knew he loved Hearts and he knew that if nothing was done, then Hearts was going to war again._

 _He hoped that was enough._

 _The people-both citizens and fighters-were all milling around the courtyard of the palace, almost in a daze. But interestingly, no one stepped close to the the raised steps in front of the palace, where the former Suit used to address their people. Out of a mix of respect and possibly even a bit of fear, those steps were consciously avoided._

 _Until, Iwaizumi stepped up and walked directly to the top of them._

 _The crowd quieted immediately, turning and staring as if drawn by a magnet._

" _Hajime!" an older man called, one of the former leaders of the resistance. "What are you doing up there? Get down!"_

 _Iwaizumi ignored him, trying to keep his hands from shaking as he quickly rolled up his sleeve until the bright red heart shone._

 _No one spoke._

 _Iwaizumi took a breath and was surprised it didn't catch in his throat._

 _By the Fates, he hoped he was doing the right thing._

" _I'm Iwaizumi Hajime and I'm the Ace of Hearts."_

 _ooooooo_

Tsukishima tilted Hinata's head to the side, eyeing the small but definitely noticeable red line placed midway up his neck.

He sighed, letting Hinata's high collar fall back so at least the cut would be covered. "Honestly, I don't know why you couldn't have settled for a hickey like normal over emotional couples."

Hinata rolled his eyes, straightening up his shirt. "It wasn't like that and you know it."

Tsukishima hummed, sitting back at his desk and regarding the Ace contemplatively. "I have been hearing talk this morning about what kind of King Spades has if the land's bravest warrior would bare his neck."

"See." Hinata smiled. "It's working already."

Tsukishima snorted derisively. "Won't matter much when our King goes right back to hiding in his tower."

"He won't," Hinata replied with certainty. "He's ready now. I can feel it."

"Says the one who's in love with him," Tsukishima dismissed. "I think _I'm_ going to wait to see some hard proof. People don't change overnight, Hinata."

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Maybe all he needs is a little belief."

"Maybe he should earn it first," Tsukishima shot back.

"He's our King, Kei," Hinata said and this time there was a sharp reproachful tone in his voice that Tsukishima rarely heard from the genial redhead. "If he doesn't have the belief of his own Suit, how can he have the people's?"

There was a long moment where Jack and Ace stared at each other in a silent debate.

Finally, Tsukishima nodded once and inclined his head in a mix of acknowledgement and apology.

Hinata nodded back, understanding and accepting.

In the next instance, Hinata smiled brightly like the sun breaking from behind the clouds. "Relax, Tsuki, Kageyama's going to do fine. I can feel it."

ooooooo

Around the Spades ballroom, there was a general air of revelry and lightheartedness that Iwaizumi honestly didn't feel.

It was an uncomfortable disconnect-like being the personified specter at the feast. Iwaizumi could tell himself it was due to the company of one Hyakuzawan King, but even that didn't sit quite right.

Last night, at the official closing of the tournament, would have been the perfect time for the Hyakuzawan King to reveal himself-surrounded by all sorts from the Cards Kingdom, from common folk to knights. In fact, the entirety of the Cards Suit was on high alert, just waiting for the King to make his move.

Yet, unnervingly, the night had passed in a standstill with the King never showing the slightest inclination to act.

Tonight's ball would be the King's second best opportunity. Like the tournament, the ball was open to all citizens of the Cards Kingdom who wished to attend. However, many of the attendees left following the tournament. While this still meant a sizable number of attendees, the Hyakuzawan King hadn't shown any more intention to act tonight as he had the previous.

Currently, King Yuta looked the picture of relaxed-throwing back his head and laughing as he talked to a few prominent merchants from Clubs. His gloved right hand lightly gripped a wine glass as he spoke.

Iwaizumi gritted his teeth. After the lack of action last night, Suga had even suggested that Hyakuzawa might not act _at all_ during the tournament. Instead, the King could be using it to bide his time and carefully observe the rest of Cards.

The answer didn't sit right with Iwaizumi and, from the locks of the rest of the Suits, it didn't sit well with them either. Still, the fact remained that the King had showed no interest yet in acting and Cards couldn't act until he did.

Though, the strangest thing about the night wasn't the King of Hyakuzawa's lack of action but rather the strange gnawing hollowness that Iwaizumi felt building somewhere in his chest as he watched the couples dance around the ballroom.

It was a truth that Iwaizumi did not like to think about the fact he missed Oikawa. That he had in every single moment since he'd last seen him in Hearts.

Hearts needed Oikawa. That was another truth and one that Iwaizumi preferred to think about. The _country_ needed him. Iwaizumi's feelings were just part of the whole, eclipsed by the greater need of the thousands.

But that didn't explain why he'd miss him now. Looking out on the dance floor, it wasn't Oikawa's abilities that he was missing-not his grasp of finance nor his decisiveness nor the way he could cut down a problem and rearrange it to form a better whole. It wasn't Oikawa the possible King he missed.

Instead, he missed Oikawa's smile, his laugh. He missed watching the way that Oikawa's hands would flicker as he talked, the different way he would stand when thinking. He missed the cleverness of his responses. There was a large part of Iwaizumi-larger than he'd ever admit-that was constantly wondering what Oikawa would say in each situations, that imagined the barbs Oikawa would've thrown into conversations as easy as breathing.

The second truth that Iwaizumi didn't like to acknowledge was that he didn't want Oikawa here just so he could be King. That selfish part of him didn't even care if Oikawa was destined to be King or not. It just selfishly, stubbornly, and achingly wanted him _here._

And wasn't it just too bad that Iwaizumi only realized he might be in love with Oikawa the man after he finally was forced to move on from Oikawa the King.

ooooooo

"You're staring."

Tsukishima jerked his head away and looked down to find the bright face of his assistant, wearing a arch smile.

"I am not," Tsukishima disagreed, more out of habit than sincerity.

Yachi's smile only grew wider. "You know you could always ask him to dance. I doubt he'd say no."

Unconsciously, Tsukishima's eyes drifted back over to the slim form of Yamaguchi, talking animatedly with one of the older palace servants.

"I can't, I'm working," Tsukishima argued. "You and I both know King Yuta could act any minute."

"Doesn't seem like he's too keen on it to me," Yachi drawled, nodding to the form of the Hyakuzawan King just as he called for another glass of wine.

"Well…" Tsukishima hesitated. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't be on guard."

"Tsuki," Yachi said, finally sounding a bit exasperated. "You're never going to get anywhere by standing here and thinking of excuses. Go up and ask him to dance!"

Tsukishima felt a brief shot of panic at the thought but quickly turned it into his usual acerbic tone. "Don't you have your own date to annoy?"

Yachi rolled her eyes. "Ennoshita can do without me for a few moments. Tsuki, go ask him!"

"No," Tsukishima said obstinately, just stopping himself from crossing his arms. "I don't even like dancing. And...what would we even talk about."

"I don't know," Yachi said, sounding abruptly pleased. "But, you better figure it out soon because it looks like he's coming to _you_."

Tsukishima's head shot up and saw that indeed Yamaguchi was slowly weaving in and out of the crowd in the direction of him and Yachi. Tsukishima felt his throat abruptly dry.

"Oh, and Tsuki," Yachi said, keeping her voice low. "You remember how I won our bet, right? I figured out what I want." She leaned closer, making sure Tsukishima would be the only one to hear her. "After all of this mess with Hyakuzawa is over and you don't have any more excuses, I want you to ask him out. On a real date."

Tsukishima swallowed, looking down at her, betrayed.

Yachi's face softened, sympathy mixing in but not enough delude the firmness of her jaw. "It's okay, Tsuki. I wouldn't be encouraging you if I didn't think he'd say yes. You can't see it, but to everyone else, it's obvious. Stuff like this is always going to be scary. But if we don't do anything, that's how we lose it."

Without giving him a chance to respond, Yachi slipped away-sending him one last smile with an encouraging hand motion that he just _knew_ she'd learned from Hinata.

Tsukishima took a deep breath and when he turned back he was face to face with Yamaguchi.

"Hey," Yamaguchi said, smiling nervously. "Um, I didn't' mean to chase off Yachi or anything?"

"You didn't," Tsukishima reassured him, wondering why the air suddenly felt so stuffy. "She went off to find her date."

"Oh…" Yamaguchi hesitated and Tsukishima felt abruptly worried that it had been _Yachi_ that Yamaguchi was coming to talk to. And now, here he was with only Tsukishima instead.

Tsukishima was about to make some kind of piteous offer, maybe point him in the direction Yachi had headed, when Yamaguchi spoke again.

"Ah, I was actually wondering if you wanted to dance," Yamaguchi asked, looking up at him with a faint blush. "With me, I mean?"

Tsukishima froze, apparently for too long because Yamaguchi's smile started to drop and it looked like the librarian was about to say something else before-

"Yes," Tsukishima blurted out. "I would."

"Oh," Yamaguchi said, blinking and looking surprised. "That's...that's great."

"Unless you don't want to," Tsukishima said stiffly.

"No, no, I do," Yamaguchi said immediately. "I just didn't think you'd agree. I've never seen you dance at one of these before."

That was because, despite Suga's teachings, countless festivals, and Hinata competing with him for who could be best, Tsukishima was fairly terrible at dancing.

He decided not to mention this, reaching over to take Yamaguchi's hand as the next song started.

"If you didn't think I'd day yes, then why did you ask," Tsukishima questioned, frantically trying to remember the first steps of the waltz.

Yamaguchi followed easily and with enough grace to jolt something in Tsukishima's memory so he led them into the next turn.

"I suppose I decided to try anyway," Yamaguchi said, letting out a small laugh. "Sometimes you just gotta take a chance, right?"

"So people tell me," Tsukishima remarked.

At least one good thing about being terrible at dancing was that it was forcing Tsukishima to focus a large amount of his attention on where his feet should go instead of how nervous he was.

This close, he could feel how warm Yamaguchi was, how easily their hands fit together.

Just those thoughts provide him enough distraction to lose focus and accidentally land on Yamaguchi's foot.

"Ah!"

"Sorry," Tsukishima bit out, almost letting go of Yamaguchi's hand before the man in question tightened his own hold.

"That's okay," Yamaguchi said quickly, positioning his arm so that he was the one leading instead of Tsukishima.

"I didn't want to say anything," Yamaguchi smiled, "but you're, um, dancing's not your area, is it?"

Tsukishima flushed, mentally cursing dancing and urging this song to be over faster. "Not for lack of practice. I'm sorry, I should have warned you beforehand. "

Yamaguchi laughed again, brightly without a hint of mocking. "No, that's okay, really. It's not like anyone's good at everything. Now, I just feel even more special that you agreed to dance with me in the first place."

"Of course, I did," Tsukishima said without thinking.

His brain caught up a second later and he dropped his gaze, looking down to make sure his feet were still in the proper place. They were, Yamaguchi was much better at leading.

Yamaguchi squeezed his hand and when Tsukishima looked up he found the librarian blushing, but smiling in a way that looked absolutely pleased.

"Thank you, Tsuki," Yamaguchi whispered.

His heart stuttered before rising in a movement that felt uncomfortably like elation.

Tsukishima supposed he didn't mind dancing _that_ much.

ooooooo

"Gotten tired of the ball, I see," Suga said playfully, sliding through the curtain and onto the small secluded balcony.

Daichi hummed, turning to him and Suga saw how beautifully the light shone off the lake to cling to his cheekbones.

"Just taking a bit of a breather," Daichi assured him. "All the lights and the dancing...well, it can get a bit much sometimes."

"You never have been that fond of dancing, have you," Suga asked, coming over to lean on the railing beside Daichi.

And, really, if Suga thought about it that should have been his first clue. Daichi had never liked dancing. He could do it, going around the dance floor as smoothly as if he was in a duel. But, when faced with the choice, Daichi would always chose the clean and simple athleticism offered by a sword than the complexities of a dance.

However, the one true constant-on the dueling grounds or on the dance floor-was that Daichi would always follow to Suga's lead.

Daichi bent down, reaching his hand through the stone separations of the railing to grab something and hold it up to Suga.

A single rose in full bloom.

"Under this balcony is where the gardeners moved the rose bushes," Daichi explained, holding the flower up to Suga.

"Oh," Suga said simply, taking the flower in his hand and turning it over so it shone brightly in the moonlight. "Thank you...for telling me, I mean."

Without looking up, Suga heard Daichi respond. "Of course, I know they're your favorites. I know they're not in your garden still but...well, at least they're still here. You only need to walk a bit farther now to see them."

"Yes, I'm finding that's true of many things," Suga replied, glancing up and offering Daichi a smile. "It's beautiful."

Daichi's face softened, looking at Suga with an utter sense of fondness traced through with just the hint of wariness. "By the way, you look stunning, My Queen."

Suga blushed, turning his head back down to hide it. A warm feeling broke out somewhere beneath his sternum, sending goosebumps scattering along his arms.

"I apologize, Suga. That was too forward of me," Daichi said and now the wariness was there full force with its companions, disappointment and chagrin.

And Suga realized quickly that not one of those would do.

"It's perfectly fine," Suga reassured, a bit breathless for a reason he couldn't yet explain. "In fact, if you'll forgive me in turn, I think I have my own moment of forwardness."

Daichi's brow crinkled, confused, but he was already halfway to nodding. "Of course, My Queen."

Suga's hand reached out, slipping around Daichi's neck and pulling him down until Suga's lips could land.

And, then Suga kissed him.

The kiss was brief, barely giving Suga a second to savor the feel of the other's lips before Daichi was pulling back, eyes wide and heaving in air as if trying to reorient himself.

The air in Suga's lungs meanwhile froze painfully, which the Mage of Air found particularly unfair.

"Suga," Daichi gasped, hands grasping Suga's shoulders in an attempt to steady one of them. "Why did you-Why? You kissed me." Here Daichi shook his head and seemed to finally get a grip of the situation. When he next looked at Suga, there was a deep pain there that for the life of him, Suga couldn't understand. "Suga-Koushi, if you're doing this out of a misplaced sense of pity to spare my feelings...or...or duty to Spades or...I don't even know, then, please, _please-_ "

"I love you," Suga broke in, before Daichi could continue.

The Captain of the Knights breathed in suddenly as if the words had hit him in the chest before finally the breath came out in a sound like the beginning of a sob.

Daichi made to speak, still looking devastated and utterly unconvinced.

"I love you," Suga repeated, desperately before the Captain could speak. "I'm telling you because it's the truth. I'm not saying it out of duty or pity or...my Fates, Daichi, how could I ever not fall in love with you? How could I ever be so cold when each day you bring me more ways in which to fall? How could anyone ever see your kind heart, your honor, the very strength of your soul and not wish you the world?"

Suga became vaguely aware that he was crying and the memory of that one terrible night at the garden was suddenly so vivid that he could feel it clutching his chest.

"Even when I was struggling _not_ to fall in love you, I already was," Suga confessed, looking up and focusing through the tears on the gentle warmness held in Daichi's eyes. "I love you, Daichi. I have so, so many regrets but never has one of them been loving you."

Slowly and never breaking eye contact as if looking away would make Suga disappear, Daichi brought one of his hands to rest on Suga's neck-fingers just brushing the ends of silver hair.

They both moved forward.

This kiss was as different to the previous as night to day. This kiss started sweet and gentle, almost hesitant, until finally both of them seemed to accept that the other wasn't going anywhere. Then, all at once, it was like something broke. Reaching to hold each other closer, mouths opening and heat and desperation turned to a frantic desire.

Suga gasped into Daichi's mouth and there was a short cut off groan in response, before Daichi pulled away. He leaned his forehead against Suga''s, catching his breath while making it clear he wasn't leaving.

In the end, even that didn't stop him entirely-Daichi dropping down almost immediately to leave short sweet kisses against Suga's cheeks, his nose, an ear, even an eyelid, before they finally returned briefly to his lips.

"I love you, Koushi," Daichi breathed. "I love you."

Suga closed his eyes, finally letting those words wash over him without anything to hold him back.

"Wait," Daichi said suddenly, pulling back only far enough to look into Suga's eyes. "If you already loved me, then why now? What changed?"

Suga smiled, his hand sliding up to play with the ends of Daichi's hair. "It wasn't fair. I couldn't stay with you like this. I couldn't let myself have this, only to watch you grow old without me. I had to let you go. To not, would be too selfish."

Daichi's lip pulled down, a reluctant understanding but not an agreement. "Couldn't? Not can't?"

Suga took a breath, finally giving wind to the decision he'd taken months to come to. "I'm letting go of the spell. I'm going to start aging again."

The hands at Suga's neck and shoulder tightened.

"Suga, you can't," Daichi protested. "You can't. You're Spades' Queen. They need you. I can't let you give that up for me. Even if….even if it means we can't be together."

"Shh." Suga smiled, reaching up to hold a finger to Daichi's mouth. "I know, it's not like I'm not still going to be Queen for hopefully a good number of decades. This isn't just for you, it's for me." Suga's smile grew weary. "It's about how I can't stand to watch another round of Suits die around me while I continue to live on. I can't." He shook his head. "Trust me, the kind of person that would make me would not be fit to rule Spades anyway. It just took me a few months to realize that."

"Koushi…" Daichi murmured, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Suga's again. "Are you sure about this?"

Suga took a deep breath. All around him was the scent of roses. All he had to do was walk a bit further.

"I'm sure," Suga answered before looking up, mischievously. "Now, kiss me again."

Daichi smiled, leaning in. "Yes, My Queen."

ooooooo

"Oh! Now what are you doing here of all places? You know it's too late for anyone to need feeding."

"Sorry," Oikawa said, sitting on one of the lone stools and staring down at the kitchen counter. "I didn't pay attention to where I was going and I just kind of….ended up here. I can leave if you want."

Nana smiled, reaching down to pat an old wrinkled hand against Oikawa's cheek. "That's fine, dear. Sometimes you don't truly know where you're going until you're already there. I'm just glad you ended up here with me."

Oikawa managed a wane smile in return, standing up to help her.

"Sit," Nana ordered firmly, guiding him back down on the stool. "I know the kind of thoughts that are good for working and yours are more the kind to accidentally chop a finger off. Just sit while I make up some dough for the morning."

Feeling rather helpless, Oikawa nodded and watched as the woman pulled out various ingredients-laying them on the counter in a manner that spoke of routine.

"So, not that I can say I'm upset by it," Nana started, "but do you want to tell me why our handsome young royal guest is still at the palace when most of our Suit is down in Spades?"

Oikawa reached down and scratched the bandage on his hand, hesitating before answering. "I couldn't leave. I...I keep trying but every time I get ready to, I just...stay."

Nana hummed. "And why do you think that is, dear?"

Oikawa shrugged before his shoulders slumped again. "I don't know. That's what I've been trying to figure out. No one needs me here so why-"

"Well, I don't know about that," Nana interrupted. "By the looks of it, I'd say there's a number of people who need you here quite a lot….Our Ace, for example, judging by the look on his face when they left."

Oikawa blushed darkly, not even asking how the old woman knew that. "That's different. He doesn't actually _need_ me here. Not like he thinks. He-he _wants_ me, but that's...that's different."

"How so," Nana asked. "Granted needs and wants are entirely different things, but I often think we don't entirely know which is which until after we've given up something we've _wanted_ only to find out it was something we _need._ "

Oikawa felt something in his chest clench painfully and he didn't respond.

"Besides," Nana continued, "is it really so bad to want something? Even when you think you don't deserve it."

"But, I _know_ I don't," Oikawa said and that same clench now shattered, leaving Oikawa with broken shards under his ribs. "I know I don't deserve it. How can I? And...and I've tired. I _have_ tried but all I know is how to send people to fight in way that maybe a few less will die. All I know is some stupid economic maneuvers and what time's the best to plant grain. I can't, I don't _deserve_ , and he does _deserve,_ so…"

Oikawa broke off, reaching down to scratch at the bandage again but before he could, Nana reached out a hand to stop him.

Oikawa looked up at the woman confused but Nana just smiled again, moving her hand to the bandage.

"Careful with the bandage, dear," Nana told him softly. "When they're a bit loose, they can ride up."

Oikawa blinked, looking down to see the edges of the familiar red heart shining through from where Oikawa had unknowing slid the wrapping down.

His head shot up to Nana but the woman was still smiling.

"Don't worry, dear," the woman reassured softly. "Your secret's safe with me,"

Oikawa breathed out, not knowing if it was with relief or not. "Thank you."

"It's no problem. No problem, at all," Nana smiled. "All I ask in return is that you listen closely and really hear these words, even when they come for an old kitchen servant like me."

Oikawa nodded, feeling too exhausted to do anything else

Nana met his eyes seriously. "Kings are only human, dear. Even those chosen by destiny. We can't expect them to be anymore and they can never see themselves asanything else." She held a hand to Oikawa's cheek with a gentleness that Oikawa could feel down to her soul. "Hearts-and our Ace-doesn't expect you to be perfect. We don't want a perfect King and we definitely don't _need_ one."

"What we do need..." Nana continued, and her words settled around Oikawa like a cloak, "is a King that knows what time's the best to grow grain. We need a King who knows a few economic maneuvers. What we do need is a King who know how to send people to fight in way that means a few less will die." Nana paused. "And what we do need, I believe, is a King so willing to help Hearts that he'd give up what he wants because he thinks it's what we need."

Oikawa felt like he couldn't breathe and didn't even protest when Nana reached down to undo the bandages, leaving a bare hand that she slowly thread her fingers through.

"But what Hearts needs the most, right now," Nana said, "is a King who will listen to us when we tell him he _is_ what we need, even if he doesn't believe it yet himself."

The breath that Oikawa couldn't find suddenly hit him in a rush.

"I'm scared," Oikawa said, low like a terrible secret.

"Good," Nana said simply. "Fear comes from knowing how much something's worth. The question is what are you going to do now?"

"I'm..." Oikawa hesitated but only for a moment and the shards in his chest slowly fit back together to form something stronger. "I'm going to go fix something. Something I probably should have fixed a month ago."

Nana smiled, giving his hand on last squeeze before letting go so Oikawa could run out, chasing a small niggling idea that was becoming increasingly persistent in the back of his mind.

"Oh, one more thing," Nana called out, right before Oikawa got to the door.

Oikawa turned back to see the old woman out right grinning.

"When you find my grandson," Nana began, "tell Hajime, he should really come down and visit his grandmother a bit more."

Oikawa stopped, then stared, then slowly but certainly started to laugh.

"I will," Oikawa agreed, before racing out of the kitchen and down the halls in the direction of one very specific roof.

When he got there, on the exact same roof he'd sat on with Iwaizumi barely a few weeks ago, Oikawa took a deep breath and attempted something he'd never even dreamed of trying before.

"USHIJIMA!"

He called for the Fate of Order.

The wind ripped through Oikawa's hair and he looked around, trying to spot Ushijima somewhere on the dark roof.

No one appeared.

Oikawa had just started to think that, really, this was just like the Fate. Bother him constantly one moment, but the first time Oikawa actually _wanted_ him and now…

"Yes, Young King."

Oikawa spun on his heel, heart still beating wildly, as he laid eyes on the ever stoic expression of the personification of Order. Oikawa's constant boogeyman for over a decade.

Ushijima raised an eyebrow in question and Oikawa sighed.

"I need your help."

ooooooo

"What's up with you," Kageyama asked gruffly, feeling heat rising up under his collar as Hinata continued to stare.

"Hmm, nothing," Hinata answered, grinning widely and reaching over to fill Kageyama's wine cup again. "I don't even have any idea what you're talking about."

Considering he had barely taken two sips since the last time Hinata refilled it, Kageyama was pretty sure the later action was just an excuse for Hinata to stay by him rather than checking on the rest of the Suits. Not that Kageyama minded particularly

Speaking of excuses, though.

"Bullshit," Kageyama muttered back. "You've been smiling at me non-stop since last night. What is it? Do I have a spot on my clothes or something?"

Hinata laughed, leaning in until he was just a bit closer than a servant really was expected to be while working.

"There's nothing the matter with your clothes, I promise. In fact," Hinata said and the grin took a turn for the mischievous. "I think they make you look _really_ good."

The heat under Kageyama's neck suddenly found its twin somewhere in his stomach and he attempted to smile back, even if a shade more shyly.

"Thanks. You look, ah...it's better than that stupid outfit with the sleeves," Kageyama finished lamely.

Much better, actually. Even with the weird high collar, Hinata looked charming and almost graceful in the black vest and crisp white shirt, flickering around the ballroom like a flame. Maybe that was why Kageyama's eyes were always drawn to him.

He took a sip of wine.

"Thanks." Hinata smiled and like clockwork, he reached over to fill in the last sip. "And don't worry about why I keep smiling. It's just that I'm very, very happy."

"Oh…" Kageyama said. Well, whispered was more like it. His voice just kept getting lower as he found himself leaning closer and closer to Hinata. "That's alright then."

This close he could see the light reflect in Hinata's eyes, could see him turn his chin up and reach closer until-

"Ah," Hinata's eyes widened and he abruptly leaned back. "Your Highness, would you care for anything to drink?"

Kageyama was about to ask what he was talking about-because _No,_ he definitely had more pressing things on his mind right now than the wine, mainly the one serving it-when he heard a voice speak from behind him.

"It's 'Your Majesty' actually," King Yuta drawled, coming to stand at Kageyama's right. "Your Highness is only used for princes in Hyakuzawa." He spared a glance at Kageyama. "Well, and those who share the throne."

"Your Majesty," Hinata corrected and Kageyama noted that the servant was suddenly much more formal than he had ever seen him before. Yet, at the same time...there was something even stranger in his demeanor now. Something that almost seemed….sharper? An edge or a threat even.

Then, Hinata smiled again and it was gone. "Would you like any more wine?"

King Yuta shrugged carelessly. "Couldn't hurt, I suppose."

He thrust his goblet out imperiously at Hinata, like a man who expected his orders to be followed and cared little about who was actually serving him.

Hinata ducked down demurely and, in that short second, Kageyama decided he hated the Hyakuzawan King. Granted, Kageyama had already hated him vaguely before this based solely on his plans for Cards, but that had been a nebulous sort of hate-more of a concept than an actuality. Now, though watching him move around servants-around Hinata-like everything in the world was beneath him, Kageyama realized he hated this man. He hated him down to his very core.

Almost as if the King could hear these thoughts, King Yuta's hand jerked and Kageyama looked over to see him looking with wide eyes as his goblet splashed on the floor.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence where all three of them just looked at the puddle of red on the ground.

Hinata reacted first, head jerking up.

"Um, sorry, Your Majesty, that was my fault," Hinata stammered. "I'll just go fetch a rag from the kitchen and clean this up."

"Ah….yes," the King said, sounding more dazed than anything and Kageyama wondered how much wine the man had drank already. "I suppose you should go do that."

Hinata nodded, bowing uncomfortably before sliding away in the crowd and in the direction of the kitchen.

Kageyama watched him go before he turned to King Yuta, who was still staring blankly.

"What a strange servant," King Yuta said, now with a thread of curiosity entering his voice. "I'm quite certain we don't have any quite like him in Hyakuzawa."

Kageyama felt a sudden rush of protectiveness. He didn't know what King Yuta was implying but he suddenly realized he didn't want the King anywhere near Hinata, conversationally or otherwise.

"He's terribly clumsy," Kageyama said firmly. "Really, he's worked for me for years and he's just about the worst servant I've ever seen. Honestly, awful!"

"Is he," the King asked before laughing suddenly. "What a pity."

King Yuta waved a hand dismissively, apparently banishing the issue.

"Well, there's more important things to talk about than _servants_ anyway. Aren't there, King of Spades?" The King smiled and Kageyama didn't think it looked at all friendly.

"Like what," Kageyama asked.

"Oh...nothing too specific I suppose," King Yuta responded airily, looking out onto the ballroom. "This really is a lovely party. Absolutely splendid."

"Thanks," Kageyama returned, the words feeling like sandpaper in his throat. "We're honored by your attendance."

"Think nothing of it," King Yuta said, smiling. "Why if anything, the honor's mine. Such a wonderful celebration. You know, in Hyakuzawa, we have a term for parties like this. An old term, you've probably never heard it."

"What is it," Kageyama said, feigning interest.

King Yuta's smile grew and Kageyama was reminded eerily of someone laughing at his expense, of telling him a joke that he was never expected to get.

"For parties like these…" King Yuta continued, "we call them a Nohebi social."

"Ah," Kageyama responded, trying not to show that the term was somewhat anticlimactic.

The King laughed at his expression. "Yes, that's what I figured. It's a cultural thing. Back from a party that was held in Nohebi a few centuries ago. It's an old story," King Yuta smiled, shaking his head. "I'm just reminded of the oddest things sometimes."

"Right," Kageyama said for lack of a better response. In the back of his mind something was turning, a gear was hit telling him he'd read something somewhere.

"Well, I suppose we should both get back to socializing instead of staying over here in our little corner." King Yuta nodded at him, striding forward and being careful not to step in the wine spill.

He sighed. "I do hope that servant will be back soon and clean this up."

"He will be," Kageyama told him absently.

"Excellent," King Yuta said, before disappearing off into another corner of the ballroom.

Kageyama didn't follow-standing absolutely still as the words tumbled across his mind, going faster and faster, until-

 _A Few Centuries Ago. Nohebi. A Party. Like This._

Oh, fuck.

Feeling un-moored like his body was moving without his conscious thought, Kageyama sat his wine glass down and turned on his heal to the nearest hallway.

 _A Few Centuries Ago._

A few centuries ago, Hyakuzawa was embroiled in an all out naval warfare with-

 _Nohebi._

Cards had elected to stay out of it and the two countries nearly destroyed each other, the war spanning almost two bloody decades where the shores of either country were said to be awash with blood. Nohebi was finally pulling ahead and the war looked to be almost over until-

 _A Party._

Until Nohebi leaders held a party, a social, with all the nobles and military leaders in attendance with their family. The party had been to celebrate the war nearing an end, a victory in sight, to discuss plans for how to finally finish it.

It all went well until midnight, when the guests were tired and deep in their drinks. That's when Hyakuzawa forces surrounded the palace and attacked by land. The Hyakuzawan soldiers had extinguished their torches, had snuck through the trees, had not given a slight trace that they were there until they acted.

Nohebi didn't stand a chance. Over half of their nobility was slaughtered in one night, along with most of their military leaders. In Nohebi, it was known as the Midnight Massacre. It's where they got the phrase "Never trust an all black night".

It's also where-Kageyama remembered now, the fact tucked away in an obscure texts about Hyakuzawan cultural feasts-the Hyakuzawan phrase a "Nohebi social" came from. A sneak attack. An absolute slaughter. A party-

 _Like This._

Kageyama needed to get to his tower, to the tallest tower in all of Spades. Kageyama needed to see...

Kageyama needed to see if he was right, but he prayed that he was wrong.

ooooooo

By the time Hinata had returned with a rag, King Yuta looked to have thankfully decided to move on. Unfortunately, it seemed that Kageyama had done the same but then again it wasn't like Hinata would have much trouble finding him within one-albeit large-ballroom.

He quickly cleaned up the spill and handed off the dirtied rag and goblet to another kitchen servant before turning around the ballroom, trying to spot Kageyama.

He found someone else first.

"Kenma," Hinata called. The quiet man seemed to be conducting a truly remarkable attempt of blending in with the wall-which became even more impressive, considering he was one of the most powerful people in the room.

"Shouyou," Kenma returned calmly, glancing around as if to make sure Hinata's greeting hadn't alerted his presence to any of the nearby party members. It hadn't.

"Have you seen Kageyama," Hinata asked. "I left him for like five minutes and now, I can't find him anywhere."

Kenma tilted his head. "I think I saw him-"

"Ah, there you are!"

For the second time tonight, Hinata found his conversation interrupted by the Hyakuzawan King.

"Finally, a servant I can count on," King Yuta continued before turning and seeming to notice Kenma for the first time. "King of Diamonds. I almost didn't see you there."

"That's rather the point," Kenma replied in way that should have been rude if the tone wasn't so mild.

King Yuta didn't seem to take offense. "Would you mind if I borrowed your servant here? I believe I've had a bit too much wine and think it better if I retire for the night." He turned to Hinata, scrunching up his brow in an attempt at recognition. "You _are_ the one who showed me to my room the first night, correct?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Hinata answered, keeping his gaze carefully trained on the floor as the Hyakuzawan royalty expected of servants.

"Excellent," the King replied, turning to Kenma for permission.

Kenma spared a sympathetic glance at Hinata-silently apologizing-before reluctantly nodding his acquiescence.

"You have my thanks," King Yuta said, talking to Kenma rather than Hinata. "For the evening as well. It's true what they say about Cards being an amazingly _welcoming_ kingdom."

"Thank you," was all Kenma said in a clear sign of dismissal.

King Yuta offered one final nod, before turning towards the exit. An impatient hand gesture followed, beckoning Hinata much like one calls to a hunting dog.

Hinata pulled a face, grimacing for only Kenma to see, before hurrying after the King.

He had noticed this before, during the first time he'd walked King Yuta to his room, but the change between how the King acted in front of other nobles and how he behaved to servants still proved to be striking. To the rest of the Cards Suit, King Yuta always remained genial and good natured-though still with that taunting blade of mockery that revealed that both leaders knew why he was there. Once he was with servants, however, the facade dropped and all that was left was a quiet man-more caught up in his thoughts than the world around him.

The walk back to King Yuta's room was entirely silent and remained so, even after Hinata opened the chamber door, letting the King in.

As expected, the king no longer seemed to be putting on any kind of cheery front. Instead, King Yuta strode across the room before sitting heavily on a chair placed right beside the balcony, overlooking the water.

Hinata awkwardly hovered by the door, seemingly forgotten instead of being dismissed.

As he watched, King Yuta sighed-grabbing the fingers of his gloves and gradually pulling them off to lay on the nearby table. The outline of his right hand glowed faintly in the moonlight, turned so the back was still out of eyesight.

Hinata's breath caught. He knew some royalty had a propensity to view servants as invisible but surely….surely, with what was at stake, King Yuta hadn't forgotten-

"Well," King Yuta's voice interrupted his thoughts, "are you going to serve me or not? I always fancy a glass of water before bed."

Hinata jolted, eyes drawn as King Yuta gestured to the water pitcher on the table.

"O-of course, Your Highness," Hinata answered, jerkily starting forward and trying to catch a glimpse of the hand. "I mean, Your Majesty."

Moving gradually so as not to miss the opportunity, Hinata walked in front of the King. The right hand laid casually in his lap, palm up and the fake mark covered.

If only Hinata could get him to move it. Maybe if he spilled water or-

"My word, Spades servants are slow," the King huffed. "I might as well get the water _myself_ just to show you how it's done."

Before Hinata could speak, the King's right hand darted forward to pick up the pitcher before finally stopping and giving Hinata his first glimpse at...

A completely plain right hand. No mark in sight.

Hinata froze, too stunned to even register a small movement.

In the next second, Hinata was doubled over with a knife embedded deep in lower abdomen, still held by the King's left hand.

Hinata choked, brain trying to frantically assess the damage. Based on where the knife was, there was a high possibility it had hit a major organ. Judging by the blood that Hinata could see and the fact that any pain was instead replaced by a cold numbness, he was probably in shock. All of these pointed to the undeniable fact that the wound was almost definitely-

 _Fatal_ , the matter of fact voice of Tsuki echoed in his head.

Hinata looked up at the sound of chuckling and saw King Yuta still looking down at him.

"I suppose this is quite a shock for you, isn't it," the King said, smiling gently. "Well, imagine my surprise at finding out the Ace of Spades was not only alive but falling off the roof of my tent." The King tilted his head, hand coming up to rub against the cut on Hinata's neck. "I have to admit, I almost had to change my plans entirely but then, as luck would have it, I spot one single remarkable cut on the neck of a plain, forgettable little servant. Why that had to be...what do you backwaters Cards folk say...ah, right, the Fates smiling on my fortunes."

Hinata couldn't do anything but stare, breath coming out shallow and darkness slowly playing around the edges of his vision.

"You know," the King continued casually, "I'm not one for monologuing but I do love a good conversation and I so hate the thought of one dying with unanswered question, especially when you've worked so hard. So, tell me, have you figured it out yet?"

The brain was an amazing thing, how fast it could turn when it knew it was in its final minutes. It only took a second before…

"The Prince," Hinata croaked out, voice weak and barely audible.

The King nodded, looking incredibly pleased. "Yes, excellent! Why would I bother placing the mark on myself when I could use my weak willed son instead. " King Yuta frowned slightly, tapping his chin. "Of course, it's a pity he'll most certainly die during the war. A pity for him, I mean. Frankly, between you and me, I've been _looking_ for a way to get him out of the line of succession. Sons are easily replaceable, after all. Maybe the next one will be stronger." The King smiled back at Hinata. "Though, for little Yudai, I imagine it will be hard. Especially after the people find out he killed both the Ace of Spades and Spades' King. Why, I imagine even Hearts will turn on him after that."

Hinata coughed, grabbing at the knife with the last of his feeble strength.

King Yuta let out a surprised and fond sounding laugh, easily batting away his hands.

"Oh, I guess you hadn't figured that part out yet," he said, voice filled with mock sympathy. "That's a pity. And to think it didn't even take much to get him alone. Just one little lie, a small insidious implication, and your King couldn't wait to go running up to his tower." King Yuta tsked. "It's kind of ironic, actually. So focused on saving everyone else, that he forgot to worry about himself….Kind of like you actually."

The King twisted the knife and Hinata cried out.

"Well, look at it this way," the King continued. "At least you'll be too dead to see the fall of your King. Least I could do for such a worthy adversary."

King Yuta stood up suddenly, causing Hinata to stumble back until he hit the railing of the balcony.

"Now, as enjoyable as this talk has been," King Yuta grinned. "I have more to do tonight and you...well, don't."

Through the haze, Hinata felt a sharp push on his shoulder and then he was tumbling over the balcony railing and down, down…

The Ace of Spades fell.


	17. Chapter 17

_9 Years Prior_

 _A sixteen year old Hinata hopped nimbly up the castle wall and started mindlessly scaling up to reach the next window._

 _It was undoubtedly the long way but Hinata found that, for this night, he preferred this route. It gave him time to think, outside in the open air with wind blowing through his hair rather than sitting alone in the darkness of a room which still felt too empty._

 _Nights like this he really regretted that Tsuki had finally taken over the Jack position and had moved out to a nicer, more lavish private suite. Hinata would've really liked to talk to him tonight and it would be too suspicious if a servant was seen sneaking into the new Jack's room in the darkest hours of pre-dawn._

 _Hinata sighed, swinging over a nearby window sill and into a quiet hall, just a bit away from his new room. He ambled along the hall, silent as a ghost as his thoughts grew increasingly loud inside his head._

 _He completed his first assassination tonight._

… _.He'd killed a man._

 _Granted, it wasn't a man that_ anyone _would be particularly sad to see gone. For Hinata's first assassination, Tsuki had sent him after the most repugnant man Hinata had ever encountered-a detail, he couldn't help but feel, Tsuki did purposefully to try to make it easier. The man was a slaver and a sex trafficker-both crimes warranting a life sentence in any of the Card kingdoms. For weeks, Hinata and Tsuki had gathered piles upon piles of proof against him. The only problem with delivering this to the knights and trying him in court was that the man seemed to be bribing or blackmailing nearly an eighth of all the local officials-the names of which Tsuki and Hinata were still trying to track down. Worse yet, he was using the illegal profits to smuggle in more weapons to the rest of the Cards kingdoms and was now in danger of starting a crime war._

 _Really, Hinata couldn't even pretend to be sorry he was dead._

 _And maybe that was part of the problem._

 _On a purely physical level, killing him had been easy. The man was famed for taking his dinners completely alone. One silent entry, a cut neck, and an equally silent retreat and one of the biggest threats in Spades underworld was carefully taken care of._

Easy, _Hinata thought again, frowning and scrubbing a hand through his hair as he opened the door to his room._

" _Well, there you are," rang out a familiar voice and Hinata looked up to see Tsuki perched against the end of Hinata's bed and eyeing the mess of his room disdainfully._

" _Have I mentioned lately how much_ cleaner _my room is now that I live alone," Tsuki questioned, kicking one of Hinata shirts over to a pile._

" _Tsuki! What are you doing here," Hinata asked, brow scrunching up in confusion and not a small amount of relief._

 _Tsuki rolled his eyes, scooting back on the bed until he was leaning on the wall. "It's not like I was going to wait in my office all night for you to report in."_

" _I was going to check back with you first thing in the morning," Hinata told him, sitting on the other side of the bed and folding his legs up under him. "I figured you'd be asleep."_

 _Tsuki's mouth twitched and the blond looked up at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact. "Well...I suppose it didn't hurt me to come to you this time….Just this time, of course."_

 _Hinata smiled, a knot in his chest slowly loosening and warming as he looked at the boy who was basically his brother._

 _The two sat in comfortable silence for a moment before finally, Tsuki spoke._

" _So? How was the mission," Tsuki asked carefully._

 _Hinata shrugged, fiddling with a blanket as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "It was...alright, I guess. I mean it was a success, so...there's that."_

" _And how are you," Tsuki inquired, apparently done with beating around the bush._

" _I don't know." Hinata paused a second and Tsuki waited for him to speak again. "Like it's not like I wanted to do it. I wasn't like happy about it or anything. And if I saw another way, I'd definitely have tried that first. But...I don't know," Hinata repeated. "I don't feel guilty or anything. I don't feel bad about it because...well, because it was for Spades, you know? But...what about me then? Does that make me a bad person?"_

 _Hinata didn't want to be a bad person. He would, if Spades really needed it, but...it's not what he wanted. He didn't want to become_ just _a killer._

" _You're not," Tsuki said immediately and Hinata belatedly realized that last part had been out loud, too. It was entirely possible he was more out of it than he thought._

" _You're not a bad person and you're definitely not just a killer," Tsuki continued. "Actions-people, really-aren't that simple. Just because the action's all we see, doesn't make the intentions meaningless. Why did you kill him?"_

" _To help Spades," Hinata answered slowly._

" _Exactly, you did it to help people." Tsuki huffed then added under his breath, "_ everything _you do always seems to be about helping people."_

" _But…" Hinata started, wrapping his arms around his legs. "Don't the actions matter, too? It can't be all about intentions. What if...what if one day I mess up? What if what I think I'm doing is right but I end up really hurting someone...or killing someone that didn't deserve it."_

 _Tsuki paused, thinking and Hinata tried to pretend he wasn't waiting on tenterhooks for the answer._

 _Eventually, Tsuki sighed. "Maybe that will happen. We're not gods, we're not Fates, we're human. We can never view ourselves as infallible, especially not when we have so many lives counting on us."_

 _Hinata tensed, frowning down unhappily as the unwanted truth settled around him._

" _But," Tsuki continued, emphasizing the word, "I don't think anything like what you're worried about will happen. I don't think you could ever become a monster."_

 _Hinata exhaled a shuddering breath as Tsuki used the word Hinata had been so careful to avoid._

 _Monster_

" _...Why?"_

" _Well, first," Tsuki said, whacking Hinata in the leg to get him to look up, "is that you're a good person. A_ good _person, deep down to your very bones probably-things like that don't change just because your job has some unsavory elements. If anything, it's why people like you are the only ones who should ever have those jobs, the only ones we can trust in them."_

" _Next," Tsuki continued, ignoring how Hinata was now staring at him with damp eyes, "is that you have me and Suga and probably even our absent King and the rest of the Card's Suits if we ever needed it. We're watching out for you even in the utterly insane event you go too far."_

 _Tsuki rolled his eyes again, just to show how ridiculous he found that notion._

" _But, last, if you're really not convinced, you've got something that hardly anyone else has. Something that will always tell you if you're too far down the wrong path."_

" _What," Hinata asked, bringing a hand up to scrub his eyes._

 _Tsuki caught his arm before he could lower it and tapped hard on Hinata's shoulder, right where the mark laid._

" _Spades will always tell you if you're no longer worthy to lead it," Tsuki said, his expression going somewhat wry. "It's both our blessing and our curse, I suppose."_

 _Tsuki let Hinata's hand drop, readjusting on the bed and going back to leaning against the wall. "If you're ever really worried, just look at your mark. Then you'll know for sure if what you're doing is right for Spades."_

 _Seemingly unconscious, Tsuki raised his own hand before stopping it abruptly before it reached his neck. Hinata was struck suddenly questioning how often Tsuki looked at his own mark, let himself be reassured by the bright "J" that proved him the Jack of Spades._

 _The thought was interrupted by Tsuki letting out a sudden and long yawn, looking chagrined with himself the moment it ended._

 _As if breaking a spell, Hinata realized how heavy his own limbs felt, how his eyes were now struggling to stay open under the weight of the day._

" _You should get back to your own room, Tsuki," Hinata mumbled, unfolding his legs and laying back on his bed._

 _Tsuki waved a hand dismissively, leaning boneless against the room's corner. "It's too late. I'll sneak back in the morning. It's not like we're not used to sharing a room."_

 _Hinata nodded, too tired to argue and vaguely wondered whether this had been Tsuki's plan all alone. So, Hinata wouldn't be alone tonight._

 _Hinata smiled, feeling that same warmth from earlier._

 _As his eyes grew tireder, Hinata made one final move to pull up his shirt sleeve until the golden "A" shone right in front of him like a warm beacon of reassurance. He was still worthy._

 _With that, Hinata's eyes closed and he fell into an easy sleep, the world slowly growing darker…_

 _...and darker…_

 _...and darker…_

...and darker…

...and Hinata's world was entirely black.

There was nothing and he felt almost like he was floating. His consciousness was slipping and he was having a hard time holding on to thoughts, like trying to hold water with open fingers.

There was blackness.

So much blackness that Hinata struggled to remember if he knew anything other than the blackness. The blackness wasn't so bad-there was no pain, only a niggling thought in the back of his head trying to remind him of….something, he couldn't remember.

But, still Hinata had the vague notion that there was supposed to be more than this. Something _else,_ something _other._

As if summoned by his thoughts, a bright, warm light appeared in the distance.

Hinata thought he heard a voice coming from it. A woman's voice. A familiar voice. One that he hadn't heard in a long, long time but still called him "my darling".

Through the darkness, Hinata felt himself reaching for the light, trying to banish the darkness and get close enough to where all there would be was light and warmth.

That sounded...that sounded nice.

The darkness grabbed him back, pulling him in tighter and spread over him again, covering him. And suddenly…

Suddenly, the darkness _wasn't_ so nice anymore.

Suddenly there was pain in the darkness. A bitter stabbing in his side, a burn in his throat and lungs, and a tight feeling like he couldn't breathe.

He struggled and fought, trying to get back to the light.

And there, he was almost winning against the darkness, was almost to the warmth, when-

A second voice broke through. Also, familiar. This one coming from the darkness.

"-nata!"

Hinata paused in his struggle, staining to listen.

"Hinata!"

 _Oh,_ Hinata thought-maybe said, he still wasn't quite sure how this world worked. He recognized the voice now. And that was right, the memories were slowly coming back now.

 _I still have things to do._

Hinata stopped fighting and let the darkness and pain swallow him back.

"Hinata! Suga, he's still not breathing. How much longer-"

"We're doing everything we can. Just keep pressing. Lev, is all the water out of his lungs?"

"I-I think so. I've never done this but-"

"Good. Tsukishima, keep pressing on his chest. I'll keep working on getting him breathing."

"I think I feel a pulse!"

Hinata resurfaced, bolting up right with a pained hacking cough.

He doubled over, feeling like his lungs were bursting and trying to desperately get more air. Around him, he was vaguely aware of things moving and he twisted around to-

"Hinata," said that same voice from earlier and Hinata blinked his eyes until the hazy form finally materialized in front of him.

"T..tsuki," Hinata croaked, only for the man in question to push him back on what felt like grass below.

"Lay back down, you idiot," Tsuki ordered, hand firmly but gently holding him in place. "You were just stabbed, fell two stories into a lake, and basically drowned. Akaashi only just got the wound closed."

 _Huh,_ Hinata mused, the thought of _Akaashi_ healing him trickling in the back of his mind in a way that probably should have clued him in to something. _Stabbed, fell, and drowned. I wonder how that happened?_

Hinata shot upright again, slapping away Tsuki's hand as he tried to keep him down. "King Yuta! Guys, we have to-" Hinata broke off, scanning the audience for the sign of a single face.

"So, it was Yuta." Kuroo frowned and behind him Hinata now saw that the rest of the Cards Suits were gathered around the lake, all looking at Hinata anxiously. "Why would King Yuta try to kill a servant?"

"Yes," Tsuki said, grinding his teeth. "Why would King Yuta attack a _servant_?"

He shot Hinata a loaded glance after that but Hinata honestly couldn't care less at the moment because there was one glaring absence in the Suits' gathering.

"Kageyama," Hinata shouted. Ignoring Tsuki's cursing, he scrambled to his feet before crying out and almost unbalancing as his side throbbed so painfully it was like he'd been stabbed again.

Suga caught him before he could fall. "Hinata…"

"Where's Kageyama," Hinata repeated. But, no, that wasn't the right question. The King had already told him where Kageyama was. "How long was I in the lake? When-"

Tsuki grabbed his shoulders, stopping him from moving. "Ten minutes! You almost died just ten minutes ago, now lay back down and shut up. You're lucky Suga saw you fall and that we have _three_ Mages on hand to heal you or you'd be _dead._ Do you understand?"

Behind him, Hinata absently noticed the rest of the Suits were now watching the two curiously but Hinata couldn't focus on that right now because-

"King Yuta's going to kill Kageyama," Hinata said, brain already running through how far the King could have gotten in ten minutes.

"What," Suga asked. "Hinata, what are you-King Yuta can't do that. Not if he's trying to be King of Hearts. It's too suspicious, the people would-"

"He doesn't care about that," Hinata replied, tensing as he remembered the rest of his conversation with the King. "He doesn't care about the position it puts their King of Hearts in because he doesn't have the mark, his _son_ does. He's getting rid of his son, too."

Suga's eyes went wide, falling back.

"Oh shit, _you're_ the Ace of Spades," Kuroo yelled out, staring at Hinata with a mix of realization and amazement.

Bokuto let out a bark of unsettled laughter. "Kuroo, man, what are you talking about Hinata's not-"

"We don't have time for this," Hinata interrupted, trying to shake out of Tsuki's hold.

"No, we don't," Tsuki said, expression clearing in sudden comprehension. "Prince Yudai hasn't arrived at the ball yet…." A sharp intake of breath. "They're doing it tonight."

Tsuki's and Hinata's eyes met, a silent conversation passing between them.

"Tsuki," Hinata said slowly. "Let me go. I'm the only one who can get to Kageyama in time. I'll handle the King and you take care of the Prince. It's the only way."

Tsuki hesitated briefly before letting go with a nod. "Be careful."

Hinata nodded back.

"Wait," Lev shouted out. "So, _Hinata_ really is-"

Hinata didn't wait-he pulled up his strength, put a hand to his side to try to steady himself, and _ran,_ faster than any human alive.

He had his King to save.

"...oh," Lev finished, blinking at the air that Hinata had previously occupied. "Well, that's…"

"We'll deal with existential crises later," Tsukishima said briskly. "You all go back to the ballroom and try to cut the Prince off before he can reveal the mark. I'll go to my office and grab the old Jack of Hearts mark. It's not much, but it might be enough to sow some doubt."

The rest of the Suit was still staring with mostly stunned expressions but Tsukishima ignored them. Trusting Suga to corral them, he turned on his heel and started to his office.

One night and eighteen _years_ of secrecy out the window. Amazing. But, Tsukishima supposed he could handle that later.

He had a Prince to stop.

ooooooo

Ushijima merely stared at him, showing no sign that he'd even realized Oikawa had spoken.

Oikawa gritted his teeth. _Typical._

"I _said_ that I need your help," Oikawa ground out. "Come on, I'll even beg if you want me to. Just help me."

The Fate blinked at him, tilting his head. "Sorry, I wondered if I had misheard or if the Young King had suffered a head injury recently since I am unaware of when you've ever wanted my help before."

Oikawa threw up his hands. "Ushijima, this is no time to gloat!"

"I'm not-"

"You were right, okay," Oikawa shouted, pacing across the roof. "You were right! Maybe not about destiny or any of that other stuff, but….you were right about me being King. Or at least," he sighed, "I think I'm ready to see if you were."

Ushijima stared again before abruptly his expression cleared, leaving him with a satisfied smile. "Excellent, I knew you would see reason one day."

"Yeah, yeah," Oikawa rolled his eyes.

"Especially since Hyakuzawa's about to declare war," Ushijima continued, pleased.

Oikawa stared at him, uncomprehending.

Then with the force of an avalanche, the last statement hit him

Oikawa all at once found himself several feet forward and grabbing onto the Fate's vest. "Wait-WHAT?!"

Ushijima nodded, seeming unconcerned. "The Hyakuzawan King forged the mark from the previous King of Hearts. They're instituting their own King to create an opening for an invasion. It should happen tonight."

"WHAT?!" Oikawa yelled again, directly in Ushijima face before pushing off and gripping a hand in his hair. "Fuck. FUCK! Why didn't you tell me?! Why didn't _Iwaizumi_ tell me?! Shit, does Iwaizumi even know about this?!"

"I believe the rest of the Suit members have pieced it together, yes," Ushijima replied. "As for not telling you, I apologize I didn't realize the news would interest you. You've been quite adamant about not wanting to be King, after all."

Oikawa glared at the Fate, gripping his hands so tight he wouldn't be surprised if there were red crescents from his nails. He reminded himself once again that Ushijima was _not human_ and didn't have the same rationale as literally anyone else would have.

He still ended up almost strangling him.

Oikawa's shoulders dropped at another sudden realization. "Shit, you said this was happening _tonight._ There's no way I can get to Spades in time, it's a whole different kingdom."

 _Fuck,_ Oikawa echoed again mentally. He had finally decided to be King and now there was nothing he could do but watch as his country was thrown into war a kingdom away.

"If the Young King wished, my magic can transport him to Spades by tonight," Ushijima spoke up.

Oikawa's head whipped around. "Your magic can do that?"

Even Mages couldn't use their magic like that.

The Fate nodded, bringing his brows together as if the answer was obvious. "It will be no difficulty. It is mine and Chaos' magics that created the entirety of the Cards Kingdom after all."

Oikawa supposed, in retrospect, transporting someone across a kingdom was less difficult than creating the interwoven magics that Cards used to chose their Suits. Right now, there were more pressing concerns though.

"Take me," Oikawa said, pleading with Ushijima. "Please, Ushijima, I _need_ to be there. I need to help."

Ushijima smiled. "Of course, Young King."

The Fate reached out and grabbed Oikawa's hands and then there was a loud _pop_ in Oikawa's ears.

He stumbled back and when he next looked around the dark roof was long gone, replaced by a torch lit hallway that he had never seen before. Under the torches, the clearly recognizable symbol for the Spades kingdom glinted under the torchlight

Oikawa let out a wild, startled laugh, turning to Ushijima. "So, I guess this makes you something like my fairy godfather, doesn't it?"

Ushijima blinked, face remaining utterly placid. "I'd rather you didn't call me that."

And then Oikawa started because the Fate almost sounded vaguely annoyed by the casual wording. But, that couldn't be, Oikawa had spent literally a decade trying to annoy him and nothing worked. There was no way, he'd finally found something entirely by accident.

He opened his mouth to confirm his suspicions but when he looked back, Ushijima had disappeared.

Leaving him in an entirely random hallway in the middle of an unfamiliar castle.

Oikawa swore, picked a random direction, and started walking.

Time to confront his destiny, he supposed.

ooooooo

Heart pounding in his chest, Kageyama flung open the door to his room.

The visions of approaching armies, of death, of blood staining white formal wear were flashing through his mind almost as vividly as King Yuta's words echoed in his head.

He made it to the window, looking out and praying that the armies weren't too close, that Spades' army still had time to prepare.

The grounds were empty. Moonlight shone down, revealing no soldiers creeping through the lands nor danger lurking in the forest. The view from Kageyama's window was as calm and peaceful as it had been yesterday and every night before.

Kageyama sat down so heavily it was indistinguishable from falling.

That...that couldn't be right though. King Yuta's words, the smirk, the party-all of it Kageyama thought...no, he was certain that the King was referencing the attack on Nohebi.

Then, where were the Hyakuzawan soldiers?

Could Kageyama have missed them? No, the forest this close to the castle wasn't dense enough to hide in with the moon this bright. Could the soldiers not have approached yet? But why, the party was already in full swing? Everyone who was coming had already arrived, the crowd's would only dissipate from here.

Unless...Had Kageyama only imagined it? Jumped to a wrong conclusion based on another one of King Yuta's underlain threats? Was King Yuta bluffing just to panic him?

Kageyama stayed still, possibilities turning through his head slowly as time marched around him.

He didn't understand-

A laugh interrupted his thoughts and Kageyama looked up, almost as if dreaming, to see a smiling King Yuta standing in his doorway.

"What-"

Yuta laughed again, cutting him off. "Oh, poor little King, all alone in your tall, tall tower while everyone else is having fun at the ball."

"Tell me," the King said, stepping forward, "do you think it's ironic or fitting that you'll die in the exact way you've chosen to live?"

It was only then that Kageyama looked down to see a bright sharp knife, held expertly in King Yuta's hand and already stained in red. His breath froze in his chest and the King stepped forward again, trapping Kageyama between him and the wall.

"I take it you've already realized there's no army coming," King Yuta drawled before pausing. "Well, not tonight anyway. Never fret though, your last worry won't be entirely wrong. After all, tonight _will_ still begin Cards' downfall."

Kageyama gritted his teeth, looking around for a weapon but seeing only books.

"You know," the King continued, "for how much of a pain you all have been these past few months, I really didn't expect tonight to go so easy. Yet here we are….Maybe this is a turning point. I've already killed your Ace..." He stopped to shoot Kageyama a toothy grin. "Oh, and that was _easy._ Distracted him just a bit and the Ace of Spades fell to my knife just like any other mortal man." King Yuta let out a wild laugh. "Or maybe I'm just a god. It makes sense in a way. If Cards was created by some kind of divine power, than must not the one who destroys it be just as divine?"

King Yuta shrugged. "A question for the philosophers, I suppose. The only point I really care about is that with one King and one Ace dead and the newest one not only a foreigner but also under suspicion for their murder, then Cards will fall faster than...well, a house of cards."

"It won't," Kageyama rasped out, drawing himself up and readying himself to do...something. "Even if you kill us all, Cards will never be destroyed."

King Yuta smile grew in a look that was almost pitying. "Well, I guess I'll have to test that out, won't I? Goodbye, King of Spades. Thank you, this is the most fun I've had in years."

The knife drew back and Kageyama tensed, watching as it came down.

A dark shape barreled into the King before the knife could land.

Yuta unbalanced, almost falling to the ground before he caught the shape and hauled it off. He raised his knife again, ready to stab it at the shape before-

The book slammed against the King's head with all the force Kageyama had in his entire body.

King Yuta cried out, falling away and steadying himself against the frame of Kageyama's bed.

The dark shape, meanwhile, moved into a crouch, positioning itself protectively in front of Kageyama.

Kageyama blinked and slowly his intense focus on the King drained away just enough for him to actually focus on the hunched figure-seeing bright orange hair and-

" _Hinata?"_

 _ooooooo_

Hinata tensed at the sound of his name, but didn't take his eyes off King Yuta.

His side ached painfully and he had the intense urge to throw up but batted it away with a surge of adrenaline.

He didn't have much time left.

King Yuta was standing now, gaze zeroing in on Hinata, and-for a second-all other emotions drained away to leave outright shock.

"H-how," the King demanded. "How are you _alive_?"

Hinata didn't answer, staying still and watching the King with an almost animalistic intensity.

King Yuta shook himself, readying his knife. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. Even magic couldn't have healed you enough to fight yet. And, look at that," the King laughed again, still somewhat shaky, "all you've got is a small kitchen knife."

Hinata's hand tightened around the tiny knife, the only thing he could easily access on his run here.

King Yuta's smile faded. "Not very talkative this time, are you? That's okay. I find myself growing rather tired, too. I suppose even the most enjoyable of nights must end eventually."

The King charged forward, knife aimed right for Hinata's chest.

Hinata countered the knife stroke with his own, bringing his knee up to push the King back.

King Yuta swore, stumbling back again and gripping the bed frame. He didn't wait long before pushing forward again, using his knife's longer reach to aim at Hinata's throat.

Hinata ducked back and the knife sailed pass, harmlessly. His own knife flashed forward to swipe at the King's chest, not enough power behind it to make the move anything more than a sharp warning.

The King dodged back easily, breathing heavily and leaning against the desk. His hand tensed around the knife's handle.

"Is that all," King Yuta shouted, face flushed. "Is this the final acts of Spade's greatest warrior? Dodging and some half-hearted defenses! Not even enough energy to give me a _real_ fight? Why, I don't even think you're trying to kill me."

"I don't need to," Hinata said quietly, watching the King's sweat reflect in the bright candlelight.

King Yuta let out a half-crazed laugh. "And why's that?"

"Because I already have."

King Yuta stopped, laugh cutting off eerily as his eyes widened and he slowly followed Hinata's gaze down to the small cut right on his upper thigh-a cut Hinata had given him the second he'd pushed him away from Kageyama.

"Oh." King Yuta said, blankly. "Poison."

He huffed out something like a snort. "You know, that's really quite underhanded of you. I think…" King' Yuta's eyelids flickered and his speech slurred. "I think I approve."

The King of Hyakuzawa fell-knife hitting the ground as he did.

Not yet untensing, Hinata carefully straightened and went to check Yuta's pulse. _Dead._

Hinata let out a breath of relief, slipping the poisoned knife back up his sleeve where it had laid since he'd gotten it from Asahi before the match.

"Hinata?"

A chill ran up Hinata's spine and he braced himself, slowly turning to face Kageyama.

"Yeah," Hinata said, voice hoarse.

Kageyama didn't say anything. He just continued to stare, like a man who had finally placed the last piece of a puzzle and found the picture entirely different from what he expected.

Hinata waited, not even daring to move.

"You're the Ace of Spades," Kageyama said-a statement, not a question.

And it was at this that Hinata finally broke.

"I wanted to tell you," Hinata said in a rush. " _Please_ , believe me, I wanted to tell you so, so bad, Kageyama. I never wanted to lie to you or-"

"Lie," Kageyama interrupted, slowly taking a step towards Hinata. "What did you lie about?"

" _Nothing,_ " Hinata insisted urgently. "Nothing….Well, maybe about being clumsy. But...but not my feelings or...or how much I believe in you or the stories or...or _anything_. I swear. I just couldn't about the Ace and...and I didn't think you wanted-"

"That's not a lie," Kageyama said, coming even closer until he was barely a hand's breadth away from Hinata. "I _told_ you not to tell me."

"But I wanted to," Hinata repeated, softly.

Kageyama again fell silent, reaching out and lightly pulling down Hinata's collar to see the red mark made by his sword just a day ago.

"Why did you do that," he asked and Hinata knew he wasn't talking about what happened tonight.

Hinata met his eyes-warm brown meeting deep blue. "Because you're my King."

Kageyama breathed in sharply.

"You've always been my King," Hinata said, reaching up and grabbing Kageyama's hand. " _Always._ Whether I was the Ace or not, my life's always been yours."

The breath stuttered out and Kageyama looked down, breaking eye contact.

"I-I don't know if I can be the King you want me to be, Hinata." Kageyama looked up again, a long awaited fire finally burning behind the blue. "But, I'll try to be."

Hinata smiled slow and gently, brush the thumb of his free hand under Kageyama's eyes. "Tobio, that's what I keep trying to tell you. You don't need to try to be the King I want; you already are."

Kageyama kissed him. Hard. Fierce. The way that immediately stole Hinata's breath.

One hand threaded up into Hinata's hair while the other freed Hinata's hand to instead rest on his waist, clenching his side to pull him closer and-

"Ack!" Hinata grimaced, leaning heavily into Kageyama as pain radiated from his side.

"What is it," Kageyama demanded, gaze flickering across Hinata's face.

"I...might've…" Hinata said, panting and trying to catch his breath, "...gotten a little bit...um, stabbed."

In other situations, it would've been almost comical how fast Kageyama's eyebrows rose into his hairline. He quickly maneuvered Hinata to sit on the edge of the bed, careful not to touch his side.

"Dummy," Kageyama accused, voice still gentle. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Hinata shrugged, trying to get a grip now that the adrenaline had faded and his body was intent on reminding him just how close he'd came to death.

"I'm fine," Hinata said, which definitely wasn't quite true but he at least didn't think he was in danger of falling over dead any minute.

The magic had healed him that much. _Probably._

In retrospect, he might need some help for this next part.

He looked up at Kageyama, who was still watching him anxiously.

Hinata coughed, wincing with the movement.

"So, ah," Hinata began, "not that I wouldn't so _much_ prefer to go back to the kissing part. But, um, I kind of have something else I gotta do and I could really use your help."

Kageyama raised an eyebrow, regarding Hinata with a vaguely exasperated expression that was so familiar that Hinata smiled on instinct.

"What," Kageyama asked.

"How do you feel about moving a body?"

ooooooo

Tsukishima pushed aside file after file until he finally unearthed a small lock box, hidden discreetly in the very back of his desk.

He grabbed it, checking briefly to make sure it was still there-the old piece of skin barring the mark of the Jack, that Hinata had stolen now almost two months ago.

With a decisive _snap,_ he closed back the box and pushed out the door, striding in the direction of the ballroom.

He barely made it a couple of steps before a voice called out to him.

"Hey! Hey, wait! I need your help."

Tsukishima found his arm being grabbed and he quickly shook it off, turning to see a disheveled young man wearing the clothes of a regular Cards commoner.

The man panted. " _Finally._ The castle is a maze, I didn't think I'd ever find anybody."

Tsukishima felt his eye twitch and tried to quickly maneuver around the man.

He couldn't waste time playing Spades' tour guide right now.

The man moved in front of him again and Tsukishima ground his teeth.

"Get out of my way."

"Come on, I just need some directions," the man huffed. "I'm trying to find-"

"I really don't care right now," Tsukishima ground out, pushing his way through. "I have to be somewhere."

The man grabbed his arm again and Tsukishima almost growled, trying to break the hold.

"Just listen," the man said. "My name is Oikawa and I'm looking for-"

"No, you listen," Tsukishima snapped, "I'm the Jack of Spades and if you don't get your hand off of me and let me get to the ballroom then you're about to see why the Ace of Spades isn't the _only_ one you need to fear. So, unless you're the Fates-begotten Lost King of Hearts then _get out of my way."_

The man _didn't_ let go and Tsukishima had almost resigned himself for doing this the hard way-regular Cards citizen or not-when he held up a hand.

Or more accurately, he held up a hand barring an all too familiar bright red heart.

"So," Oikawa said, "about that Lost King of Hearts."

Tsukishima blinked, looking between the mark and the stranger.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

ooooooo

A/N: Ta da! Chapter finished early so I didn't even have to make you wait longer after the last chapter's cliffhanger.

Also, next chapter is the second to last one (the last one being an epilogue) and I gotta say I've had so much fun writing this story. I'm thinking about writing a sequel (by which I mean I already have a fairly detailed chapter plan) so please, please tell me if that's something ya'll would be interested in. Either way, this story is self contained and will be completely wrapped up with no loose threads within the next two chapters. Hope ya'll enjoyed!


	18. Chapter 18

_12 Years Ago_

 _There was no celebrations in the village, only a deeply ingrained wariness that asked if it was really over, if the pirates and raiders had finally moved on._

 _Over two weeks later and shoulders were finally falling. The people were slowly beginning to allow themselves to grieve._

 _The village was finally safe, yet there had been too much lose to warrant true cheer._

 _Oikawa, meanwhile, found himself at a bit of a loss. There were no more battle plans to be made, no more wounds to treat, no more carefully laid tricks to thwart the enemy. There was just learning to go back to normal, whatever that meant now._

 _He was slowly beginning to hear whispers though. Children stopped talking and started when he walked through the village and the adults offered up watery smiles, eyes shining._

 _The were calling him a hero. As if the village surviving by the skin of it's teeth was reason for the term rather than the very evidence on how Oikawa should have done more._

 _He couldn't stand it. Which probably had a large amount to do with why he he'd escaped for the afternoon-going to the high off cliff face that overlooked his village with the sun glinting off the sea like a miracle._

 _Oikawa breathed it in, silently watching._

 _The sudden purposeful sound of someone coming closer made Oikawa twist around, knife at the ready._

 _Standing behind him was a strange stoic man with short cropped hair and an intense expression._

" _Oikawa Tooru, future King of Hearts," the man said and Oikawa's heart stuttered "I am the personification of Order, The Fate that controls the very fabric of your universe."_

 _He paused here, looking at Oikawa expactantly while Oikawa stared back owlishly._

" _However," the man continued. "You may call me Ushijima. I have come to speak to you about your destiny. It is time for you to Claim your title."_

 _Oikawa blinked. The back part of his mind was screaming that he should really,_ really _be more shocked by what basically amounted to a legend standing a few feet away from him. However, a slightly larger part of him was just tired and had to comprehend a few too many awful things to really have time for a thing like shock now.  
_ " _No." he told the Fate instead. "I'm not going to Claim my title."_

 _With that, Oikawa turned his back firmly on the Fate and looked out again onto the village.  
_ " _...Hearts is your destiny, Young King." the Fate-Ushijima said, sounding confused. "You cannot merely toss it aside."  
_ " _I can and I am," Oikawa said firmly. "Take away my mark. I don't want it."  
_ " _You're being selfish, Young King. The kingdom is still in recovery. Your Ace is newly crowned. Your people need you."  
_ " _Yeah," Oikawa said, fists tightening at his side. "They do. And I don't care whatever fancy new Ace is trying his luck now. The people don't need that. They need someone who will actually care about them more than they do about gaining more power. Someone who will walk beside them rather than lord above them. Someone to will actually understand them."_

 _He looked back at the Fate. "And, right now, I think I can be that person. And that's why I will never become King of Hearts."_

" _You're making a mistake," Ushijima said. "I will stay with you until you can see the light of your actions."_

 _Oikawa shook his head, lips turning up in a smirk. "Be my guest but I'm warning you now, I'm stubborn. Besides," the smirk drifted into a smile as his gaze was drawn back to the village, "this isn't a mistake...In fact, I'd say it's the only thing I can do that's right."_

 _ooooooo_

 _I hope I'm right about this,_ Oikawa thought in a moment of uncharacteristic hesitance as Tsukishima dragged him along the hall, almost sprinting in his haste to get to the ballroom.

After so long, with so many doubts, and having so much at risk, Oikawa desperately hoped he wasn't making a mistake.

The mark on his hand shone like blood.

 _ooooooo_

"So, again, just so I know I've got this straight. _Hinata_ is the Ace of Spades?"

"Yes," Suga said distractedly, quickly hurrying around the next turn.

"But, like _our_ Hinata," Bokuto repeated, skeptically. "Like the short guy with the crazy orange hair. _That_ Hinata is the Ace of Spades."

Suga sighed, not even pausing in his quick pace. "You should really stop saying that out loud. We're getting close to the ballroom."

Bokuto nodded, though Iwaizumi noticed that he still looked rather stunned so that probably meant the questions were _delayed_ rather than stopped.

Behind Iwaizumi, Kuroo and Lev were both complaining to Kenma about why he didn't tell them, and how long has he known, and is _that_ why you've always liked Hinata so much

"No, it's because Shouyou doesn't bother me like some others," Kenma said calmly, giving the two a pointed look before going back to peacefully ignoring them.

"Aw, Kenma," Lev cried out before being hit on the back of the head by Kuroo, who continued asking questions.

Personally, Iwaizumi was more concerned with what they were about to find in the ballroom. Not to mention, if Hinata-if the _Ace of Spades_ was successful in stopping Kageyama's assassination.

Suga turned another corner and all conversation cut off as they faced the ballroom doors.

Iwaizumi gripped his sword and prayed that they could somehow find a way to end the night without any blood.

Judging by the abruptly grim expressions on Yukie and Kuroo's faces, Iwaizumi wasn't the only one who doubted it.

 _For Cards_ , Iwaizumi rallied and Suga pushed the doors open.

The entire ballroom turned as they walked in and at first, Iwaizumi thought it was okay, that it was just the natural response at seeing a large group of the country's leaders all enter a room en masse.

But, then he noticed how the music had stopped, how the center of the ballroom was already emptied, how Hyakuzawa's knights stood at the ready all around the cleared circle to look at the figure in the middle.

In the middle of the circle, Prince Yudai of Hyakuzawa cleared his throat.

"Oh, good," the Prince said with a smile that was probably supposed to look at ease. "You're all here in time for my announcement."

"What announcement, _Prince_ Yudai," Suga said sweetly but with a warning around the prince's title.

"Isn't it a bit late for announcements," Kuroo drawled out, hand on the sword at his waist.

Yahaba yawned for emphasis. "Definitely too late. I've always thought that any decision made this late needed at least a morning's contemplation."

Prince Yudai hesitated, taken slightly aback before he visibly settled itself. "I think _this_ announcement is best done tonight. So, the people can hear it."

Quickly, before he could lose his nerve, Prince Yudai held up his hand and started pulling off his glove.

"Are you sure about this," asked a gruff voice and Iwaizumi took a second to realize it was his own. "Somethings you can't take back?"

And if Prince Yudai removed that glove, it would mean war.

"I…" Prince Yudai stalled for another moment before his jaw firmed. "I'm sure. It's the only way."

Before anyone could say anything, Prince Yudai spun around to address the gathered crowd. "People of Cards. I, Prince Yudai of Hyakuzawa, have an announcement. You see, I'm not only the Crown Prince of Hyakuzawa. I am also-"

The doors on the other side of the ballroom burst open.

Everyone-the people, the Suits, and even Prince Yudai-turned.

And then...and then, Iwaizumi outright _stared._

Because there, standing in the doorway with Tsukishima, was one Oikawa Tooru.

Iwaizumi wondered if he was dreaming.

As if in answer, Oikawa's eyes flickered around the room, searching until finally landing on him.

Oikawa smiled, giving him a wink.

 _Oh,_ Iwaizumi thought numbly.

ooooooo

Oikawa had no clue what he was doing but he knew he had to do something.

He looked out, trying to see him in the crowd, and finally his eyes found Iwaizumi staring back at him with a stunned expression.

Oikawa gave him a smile that he hoped looked more confident than he felt and winked.

Something in Iwaizumi's face shifted and, even if Oikawa couldn't begin to put into words what it was, he himself suddenly felt grounded-as if just Iwaizumi's presence alone was enough.

He turned back to the Prince, still standing in the middle of the ballroom floor and looking just as surprised as everyone else.

Oikawa strode forward, eyeing him contemptuously.

"Sorry," Oikawa said with a smile. "I'm a bit late to the party. Mind telling me who you are again?"

The Prince blinked, off-balance and his expression was so genuinely confused that Oikawa could almost feel bad for him. You know, if he wasn't trying to steal Oikawa's job and take over Hearts and all.

"I'm Prince Yudai of Hyakuzawa," the Prince said, finally appearing to recover.

"Oh," Oikawa responded, eyes big with fake surprise. "I am so sorry for not recognizing you, Your Highness. I'm still a bit new here myself. Please, welcome to the kingdom."

Before Prince Yudai could say anything, Oikawa reached out his left hand gripping the Prince's hand in a strong welcoming handshake that was so obviously something done by equals that Oikawa almost _expected_ the loud gasp from the crowd.

Of course, that might have been because someone had finally caught a glimpse at the mark on his right hand. Oikawa couldn't say for sure.

Luckily, it seemed the Prince hadn't noticed yet as he floundered for a second before-

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Me," Oikawa asked, left hand gesturing to his chest. "Why, I'm surprised you haven't heard."

He held up his right hand, red heart clear for all to see. "I'm Oikawa Tooru, the King of Hearts."

He had just enough time to see Prince Yudai's mouth drop open before Oikawa was engulfed in flames.

A silver light burst out from the back of his hand and more than one person screamed as the magical fire cracked and boomed around the ballroom, engulfing it in a heatless inferno.

 _Huh,_ Oikawa thought absently from the middle of the flame. _Mad Dog was right. The fire_ does _make it more dramatic._

As quickly as it started, the fired died away, leaving only a faint heat wave shimmering in the air until eventually even that died away, too.

Oikawa let out a breath, glancing briefly at the silver "K" embedded in his hand as a constant reminder.

He turned, speaking to the people now rather than the Prince. "Sorry, I didn't introduce myself sooner."

Slowly, he lowered his hand to a fist by his side and looked back, wondering what the Prince would do next.

Stare was apparently the answer. Stare at him with a look of shock and, most confusingly, a strange hint of disappointment that Oikawa couldn't begin to understand.

"You're…" the Prince started.

For the third time that night, the doors of the ballroom were pushed open again and a red haired servant sprinted inside.

"Help! Someone, please help!"

The servant skidded into the clearing in the middle of the clearing, looking at Oikawa with a puzzled expression before taking in the mark on his gripped hand.

His eyes widened and Oikawa just caught the hint of an assessing gaze before another voice called out.

"Hinata, what is it," the Tsukishima guy from earlier asked, expression suddenly dark. "What's wrong? Is _anyone_ hurt?"

Oikawa frowned, wondering why the phrase was emphasized that way, before the servant-Hinata, apparently-started nodding frantically.

"Yes," Hinata cried out, eyes filling with what looked like true panic. "It's King Yuta! I...I don't know what happened! One moment, I was serving him some water and then he started clutching his chest and fell over!"

"A heart attack," Tsukishima suggested and Hinata nodded again, wiping his eyes as a tear streamed down.

"Yes, it's terrible," Hinata said. "I think he's dead."

"Dead?"

As one, the entire crowd turned to look at Prince Yudai and Oikawa noticed the last of color drain from Hinata's face.

Prince Yudai frowned, looking abruptly lost.

"My father's dead?"

A nobel wearing Hyakuzawan colors and a pretentious air pushed through the crowd.

"My Prince," the man shouted, throwing a dirty look at the Suits. " _Surely_ , you see what happened? Surely, you don't believe this? It's obvious what happened here. King Yuta was clearly poisoned. The Ace of Spades must have gotten to him at the ball. This is no accident, it's an _assassination._ Cards is trying to start a war."

"Stop talking."

The Hyakuzawan nobel started so bad he jumped, looking back startled at his prince.

"Your Highness!"

The Prince ignored him, not even seeming to hear him. Instead, he stood completely still as all eyes in the ballroom slowly drew to him once more. Much like earlier, the Prince was quiet and Oikawa almost made the mistake of labeling it "hesitance" before he saw the storm brewing behind the Prince's eyes.

Not with hesitance then. With consideration.

The Prince was making a choice.

Oikawa continued to look at the Prince and the Prince continued to look back almost with a silent question in his eyes. Oikawa didn't understand was going on, what the Prince was trying to ask him. Why _him_ of all-

 _Oh,_ Oikawa realized suddenly, taking a closer look. _Not me._

To everyone in the ballroom, it probably looked liked the Prince and Oikawa were staring right at each other. But, it wasn't Oikawa the Prince was searching out.

Instead, the Prince's eyes landed straight on the red haired servant from earlier, standing almost invisible at Oikawa's side.

And the servant was staring back.

Not with hesitance. Not with confusion. But with a question of his own, a plead, a demand.

Oikawa didn't understand it and, honestly, he wasn't sure if he was supposed to.

"Your Highness?"

The Hyakuzawan noble broke through the moment and as the Prince looked away, Oikawa felt that all at once a balance had shifted.

"It's Your Majesty actually," the Prince-the Hyakuzawan King said. "With my father dead."

The man backed up, suddenly seeming uncertain. He recovered quickly. "Your Majesty, your father's been poisoned. Cards has declared war. We need to-"

"That's ridiculous," King Yudai said, straightening and-if Oikawa hadn't seen it happen-he would swear a different man stood in the center of the ballroom. All the previous uncertainty had been wiped away like cleaning off a layer of grime to reveal a smooth polished surface.

"Cards didn't poison my father," King Yudai continued confidently. "Why would they? We're allies. Even more than that, we're guests here and Cards has always been a peaceful kingdom. And my...my father was not as young as he once was." He turned to the assembled Suits, offering a nod. "Please excuse Duke Taniguchi. He is... _was_ a close advisor to my father. I am sure he is merely so overcome with grief, he doesn't know what he's saying."

"No offense taken," quickly said a man that Oikawa vaguely recognized as Sugawara, the Queen of Spades. "You have all of Cards deepest regrets about your father. I hope even in your time of grief, you still understand how much Cards values our alliance."

"Your Majesty," Duke Taniguchi interrupted again face turning slowly red. "You don't...you can't believe this?"

"What's there not to believe," King Yudai asked, calmly. "As I said before, Hyakuzawa and Cards have been allies for decades. Why would they poison my father now?" King Yudai raised an eyebrow. "Unless, of course, you know something I don't, Duke Taniguchi?"

Duke Taniguchi spluttered, face going abruptly white. "Of course not! I just...think about what you are doing. Your father-"

"Has unfortunately passed," King Yudai said and-for a moment-a complicated expression crossed his face. "And, no matter how overcome and shocked I am by my grief, I cannot let my grief overcome my duties."

King Yudai turned to address the people, both the citizens of Cards and the assembled Hyakuzawan knights. "My father and our beloved King is dead. However, no matter how tragic and unexpected the circumstances, we cannot let this incident alone blind us to his larger dreams. To do so, would be a disservice to him." King Yudai cleared his throat. "Hyakuzawa came to this festival for the sole goal of binding Hyakuzawa and Cards closer together. As your prince and now your king, I will set aside my grief and continue this." His gaze flickered over briefly to land on Oikawa. "As _allies,_ Cards and Hyakuzawa will stand together."

"Further," and at this the King's face softened and he focused directly on his knights. "I promise that as King, I will serve _all_ the Hyakuzawan people. I promise that my reign will hear all voices, will listen to every strife, and will work to build a stronger country. One that will view it's neighbors not as threats, but as mutually beneficial. Know that every time you bow your loyalty to me, I vow my life to service of the people. And together, Hyakuzawa will become stronger than it ever has before."

King Yudai finished and, for a moment, nothing happened.

Then, slowly, the first Hyakuzawan knight dropped to his knee and bowed. Like it was a signal, the rest followed until eventually the entire Hyakuzawan contingent was bowing to their newly minted King.

King Yudai stood firm, a small smile gracing his lips as he looked out on his people.

ooooooo

After that King Yudai's speech, it seemed like it was unanimously decided by the party goers that nothing could really top the death of a King, a near declaration of war, and the reveal of not one but _two_ Kings (including the mysterious Lost King of Hearts).

Suga called an end to the ball and the attendees scattered almost reluctantly. A few of the Hyakuzawan knights were sent to the former King Yuta's room to retrieve and examine the body. Though absolutely no part of Iwaizumi believed Yuta had died of natural causes, he found he wasn't especially worried about the post-mortem examination. If Hinata really was the Ace of Spades, Iwaizumi figured he'd been doing this long enough that he knew which poisons would come across as natural causes.

Of course, this could also be because Iwaizumi had frankly more important things to worry about.

Iwaizumi grabbed Oikawa's arm, interrupting him from a conversation with Yahaba-the rest of the Cards Suits luckily too preoccupied with breaking up the party to see the new King of Hearts yet.

"Can I talk to you in private?"

Across Oikawa's face, there was a flash of something too quick to catch. But, eventually Oikawa nodded.

Iwaizumi pulled on him, guiding him quickly through the lingering ball attendees until they were in a deserted hallway.

Iwaizumi guessed at a door, pulling it open to discover and office that he quickly hurried them into, shutting the door behind him.

That done, he turned back to Oikawa and just...froze.

 _Shit_ , he still couldn't even quite believe this was happening.

"Hey," Oikawa said, tentative-maybe even a bit shy-and with that same small smile that Iwaizumi had seen just a few times when the man was feeling his most vulnerable.

It was the smile that hit Iwaizumi more than anything. The thing that made him believe Oikawa was really _here,_ standing in front of him with an uncovered hand.

"Did you mean it," Iwaizumi said in a rush. "What you said in the ballroom, did you mean it? Are you really going to be King?"

Oikawa's face went abruptly blank but he recover quickly, mouth quirking up.

"Well, of course, Iwa-chan. I've even got the fancy silver monogram to prove it."

"Oikawa," Iwaizumi said, plaintively.

The expression cleared again, this time long enough for Iwaizumi to see the fear and nervousness before Oikawa took a deep shuddering breath.

"Yeah," Oikawa said, slowly meeting his eyes, "I meant it."

"Why," Iwaizumi asked and there was a flash of hurt in Oikawa's eyes before Iwaizumi continued. "What I mean is...why did you change your mind? Is this about Hyakuzawa? About King Yudai's plan or-"

Oikawa shook his head. "No, it's not. Funny enough, nobody seemed that eager to tell me that the country was basically in danger of falling unless I became King. Strange, isn't it?"

He raised a eyebrow at Iwaizumi.

"I…." Iwaizumi flushed. "I was going to tell you. I just...I thought we had more time and...and," he sighed, "I didn't want to take away your choice. Not...not for you, never for you."

Oikawa's face shifted in such a way that Iwaizumi felt the urge to look away at the sheer amount of gratitude and understanding that shone for one blistering second.

Iwaizumi cleared his throat. "So...if that _wasn't_ it. Then, why did you change your mind?"

Oikawa smiled, more to himself than Iwaizumi. "Someone much smarter than me told me that sometimes it's okay to chase what you want...even if you're not sure you deserve it."

Iwaizumi swallowed. "And is this what you want?"

Oikawa turned to look at him. "It is."

Iwaizumi let out a breath he wasn't even aware he'd been holding. He stopped, leaning back on the table behind him for support as a tide of relief washed through him, almost making him feel lightheaded.

Iwaizumi shook his head, smiling. "I don't even know how you got to Spades so fast? I know Mad Dog would have sent me a message if he'd seen you leave."

Surprisingly, Oikawa let out a loud bubbling laugh, slowly fading out into a wide smile.

"Would you believe me if I told you the physical manifestation of Order has literally followed me around for a decade and basically acts as my fairy godfather?"

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious," Oikawa protested, laughing at Iwaizumi's expression. "His name is Ushijima. He's super boring. He did my gardening once."

Iwaizumi shook his head again, still smiling. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me. I'm just glad you're here."

Oikawa huffed, amused. He glanced around the room before looking back at Iwaizumi. "So, Iwa-chan, now that all you're burning questions are answered. I have to wonder. Stealing a newly crowned King away from a party with all of my, I'm sure, future adoring fans. Dragging just the two of us to a secluded, dark, room. Why, I simply have to question how pure are your intentions?"

The tone was joking but underneath it was a real question and one that Iwaizumi was happy to answer.

"Oh, not at all pure," Iwaizumi said, casually stepping closer to Oikawa.

Oikawa hummed, glancing at him from under his lashes. "You don't say?"

"Mmhm, just _incredibly_ impure," Iwaizumi said, already leaning in.

He was surprised when a hand pushed on his shoulder, not pushing him away but not allowing him closer.

"Oh, no, no, Iwa-chan," Oikawa smirked, hand moving to join the other and slowly twine behind Iwaizumi's neck. "I'm a _King_ now. You're going to have to do better than that if you want to seduce me."

Iwaizumi kissed him, fast, as soon as Oikawa had closed his mouth.

He heard something between a gasp and sigh come from Oikawa and he waited until suddenly the other man relaxed against him.

Then, Iwaizumi _really_ kissed him. He put everything, _everything,_ that he had been feeling over the last month into it-all the fear, the curiosity, the excitement, the amusement, the sorrow, the loneliness, the joy, the ground shaking _relief_. And, most of all, he put in every single moment of desire, of missing him, of slowly realizing he was falling in love.

When he eventually ended the kiss, after an amount of time that he really had no idea how to estimate, he found that somehow he was pressing Oikawa into a wall and the man was gasping against him with eyes significantly darker than when they started.

"That…" Oikawa panted, trying to catch his breath, "was a really…. _really_ good start."

Iwaizumi chuckled, leaning down to kiss him again-briefly, this time, before pulling away.

"I said _start_ , Iwa-chan. Not end," Oikawa muttered, trying to pull him back in again.

"One second. I've got another question to ask you," Iwaizumi said, smiling at Oikawa's look of disbelief.

"Well, go ahead then," Oikawa said, rolling his eyes.

"Before I left, you said that you could fall in love with me if you let yourself?"

In his arms, Oikawa stiffened, amused expression disappearing

"...Yeah," Oikawa said.

"Well, I...I think I could fall in love with you, too," Iwaizumi huffed out a laugh. "To tell the truth, I kinda think I'm mostly there already. So, I guess what I'm asking is...do you wanna let yourself?"

Oikawa looked up at him, blinking in surprise before slowly the realization set in.

And when he smiled, it was the most beautiful thing Iwaizumi had ever seen.

"Yeah, I think I could do that."

ooooooo

A/N: Stay tuned for the epilogue! Thank you everyone who read this far for hanging in!


	19. Chapter 19

Tsukishima hesitated outside of the library entrance, listening to the soft humming that meant Yamaguchi was already at work.

He balled up his fists in determination. He could do this. He'd done things much harder than this. By the Fates, he'd just stopped a war.

Compared to that, extending one little invitation to dinner shouldn't be that hard.

Taking a deep breath, Tsukishima stepped into the library.

Yamaguchi noticed almost immediately, looking up from his book and smiling. The early morning sunlight illuminated his face, making his freckles stand out like constellations.

"Hey, Tsuki," Yamaguchi greeted happily.

"Morning," Tsukishima said, the greeting coming out lower than he intended.

"I wondered if I'd see you this morning," Yamaguchi said, smile turning mischievous. "Given how you suddenly disappeared on me last night."

Tsukishima flushed. "Sorry, I had an….unavoidable Suits matter to take care of. I didn't mean to abandon you."

"Oh, it's fine," Yamaguchi reassured him, standing up and coming around to lean on his desk-barely a few hand breadths away from Tsukishima. "I was just teasing you. I figured it was something like that….especially given all the commotion that happened later."

Yamaguchi face shifted to serious, turning up to Tsukishima. "Speaking of which-not to overstep-but...is everything okay?"

The tension in Tsukishima's shoulders relaxed. "Yes, it's fine now."

This close, the brown of Yamaguchi's eyes pulled him in like an undercurrent.

"And are _you_ okay….Tsuki?"

Tsukishima smiled. "I am."

"Good."

Tsukishima wasn't quite sure when but somehow it seemed that Yamaguchi had gotten even closer without Tsukishima ever noticing him move.

It took another long second before Tsukishima realized _he_ was the one who had moved forward, now looking down at Yamaguchi from a distance much too close to be considered normal.

Tsukishima swallowed. "I actually had a question I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?"

Yamaguchi was staring up at him-all bright intelligent eyes, kind words, and loud laugh-and Tsukishima honestly couldn't think of a time where he wanted anything nearly as much as this.

It was terrifying.

"I...Nevermind," said Tsukishima, heart pounding. "Sorry for bothering you."

He made to move away but right before he could, he caught it. Disappointment flashing across Yamaguchi's face before it began to settle into his normal careful smile-less bright than before.

Yamaguchi opened his mouth, no doubt to give some kind of reassurance or acceptance.

"Will you go to dinner with me," Tsukishima blurted out, mouth moving far faster than his mind could catch up.

Yamaguchi's face cleared, this time in visible surprise before comprehension overtook it and he moved.

And suddenly, Tsukishima found himself yanked forward by his collar to meet soft warm lips shaped in a breathless kind of smile.

And, for once, Tsukishima was glad his brain seemed to be working slower because it meant he couldn't think of one doubt before he was kissing those lips back.

When Yamaguchi eventually pulled away, hand still on Tsukishima's collar and not going far, his cheeks were flushed red and Tsukishima wasn't the only one breathing heavy.

Yamaguchi beamed. "I thought you'd never ask."

ooooooo

Oikawa fidgeted, looking in the mirror of Spades' visitor suite and trying to wrap his mind on exactly how he went from reluctantly delivering a letter to getting ready for his first meeting with the rest of the Cards Suits.

A sudden laugh bubbled out, echoing around the room. Well, at least Matsukawa and Hanamaki would be amused. When, Oikawa finally got around to telling them that is.

Sunlight shone down from the window, hitting against the new silver of the Mark. Oikawa supposed he better start getting used to seeing his hand uncovered.

"Young King?"

Oikawa spun around, grinning. "Ha! Not this time! I was _expecting_ you to show up!"

Ushijima merely regarded him calmly as if the Fate _hadn't_ spent the better part of a decade popping up randomly in attempt to give Oikawa a heart attack.

Oikawa rolled his eyes, turning and adjusting his collar in the mirror to make sure it laid right. "So, what is it this time? Finally come to brag or is it something else? Don't tell me there's _another_ county planning a take over?"

"Actually," Ushijima said, back stiff as ever. "I've come to say goodbye."

Oikawa's hands stilled on his collar. "Goodbye? Why? Fates don't go on vacation, do they?"

"Not particularly," Ushijima answered. "However, we Fates are only supposed to intervene in the most dire of circumstances. Times when the future of Cards is at stake."

Oikawa turn to face the Fate and crossed his arms. "You've been stalking me for twelve years."

Ushijima nodded. "And now my task is done. Now, you are King of Hearts."

The Fate glanced down and Oikawa followed his gaze to stare at the Mark.

"Huh, so this is really supposed to be goodbye, isn't it," Oikawa asked, feeling a lump in the back of his throat that he quickly swallowed down.

"It is," Ushijima answered. "Unless the kingdom is in need of my intervention once more."

"You know it's kind of funny," Oikawa said. "All these years trying to get rid of you and now that you're finally leaving, I don't know what to say."

Ushijima gave a thoughtful hum but didn't say anything.

Unexpectedly, Oikawa let out a laugh. "What am I saying? It's really _you_ I should be worried about, shouldn't I? What are you going to do without me as your constant source of amusement?"

Ushijima blinked, looking unfazed. "I'm sure I will manage, Young King."

"C'mon, Ushijima." Oikawa grinned. "You know you love me."

"Actually," Ushijima broke in firmly, "you've been the hardest King I've ever had to work with to date."

"Aww, stop," Oikawa gushed. "You're going to make me blush."

"I am not joking. Centuries and centuries and you have, by far, given me the most difficulties."

"Oh, Ushi-chan,I feel the same way."

"You'll make a great King, Oikawa."

Oikawa froze.

A small smile spread across Ushijima's face as he continued, "One that will be remembered through generations….It has been my honor to lead you on your path."

Oikawa swallowed, slowly returning the smile.

"Hey, Ushijima….thanks."

"Of course, Young King."

When Oikawa next blinked, he was standing alone in front of a mirror.

He laughed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "How annoying."

There was a knock on the door and Iwaizumi stuck his head in, smiling when his eyes landed on Oikawa.

"Hey, ready for the meeting?"

Oikawa turned, doing one final check in the mirror before he reached out and grabbed Iwaizumi's hand.

"Yes. Lead the way, Iwa-chan."

ooooooo

"Okay, why do you keep smiling," Hinata asked, eyeing Tsuki suspiciously.

"I'm not smiling," Tsuki responded, unsuccessfully trying to smother his smile.

"Uh-huh," Hinata said, narrowing his eyes. " _Sure_ , you're not."

Tsuki huffed. "What I _should_ be doing is strapping you down in the infirmary and having Asahi knock you unconscious for a week while your wound heals."

"Pft, I'm fine," Hinata said, subtly shifting to hide how he was favoring one side. "Honestly, Tsuki, after having three mages heal me, I'm probably better than fine."

"You were stabbed," Tsuki reminded, deadpanned.

"Only a little bit."

"And drowned."

"Just briefly."

"You didn't have a heartbeat. You were medically _dead._ "

"But, I got better," Hinata insisted stubbornly.

Tsuki glared. "No missions for another two weeks."

"...yeah, that's probably fair," Hinata relented, happily stridding forward. "I'm still definitely going to the meeting though."

"Fates helps us," Tsuki commented but didn't make any move to stop Hinata as he reached for the door.

Surprisingly, Hinata paused anyway, turning to Tsuki in realization.

"Oh my gosh, I figured it out," Hinata said, grinning.

"Where the meeting is," Tsuki asked dryly. "Congratulations, bit less impressive since it was never a secret."

"No," Hinata cried out, a grin so wide it was reaching manic. "Why you're smiling. It's Yamaguchi, isn't it?"

Tsuki immediately turned bright red.

"You finally asked him out," Hinata accused. "Tsuki, that's-"

"Oh, look. The meeting," Tsuki interrupted, pushing the door open and hurrying inside before Hinata could say anything else.

Hinata laughed loudly, following him inside. _As if I won't wait until_ after _the meeting…_

"HINATA!"

Hinata had barely closed the door, when two giant arms grabbed onto him and lifted him in the air.

"Oi," Tsuki called out followed by a loud sigh from Akaashi. "Careful with the recent stabbing victim!"

Hinata was quickly sat back down and faced with the anxious face of one King of Clubs.

"Ah, sorry. You okay?"

"Yeah." Hinata said, giving him a thumbs up.

Bokuto immediately brightened, slinging an arm around him and pulling him into a slightly gentler one armed hug.

"Hinata, I can't believe you were the Ace of Spades and you didn't tell me!"

"Um, sorry," Hinata said tentatively, glancing around the room to try to gauge the expressions. None of them looked mad, so that was good.

"Nah, it's cool," Bokuto reassured him, leading him further in the room. "This is going to be awesome! Think about all the stuff we can do now that I know _you're_ the Ace!"

"Which is still a secret to everyone outside this room," reminded Akaashi sharply, looking at Bokuto.

Bokuto grinned back. "Of course!"

Across the room, Kuroo sent him a wink. "And, I'm still definitely expecting that rematch. Don't think you're getting out of it just because there's not a threat of war."

Hinata smiled, searching the room until his eyes landed on Kageyama and quietly taking the seat next to him.

Across the table, the new King of Hearts-and wasn't that still a surprise-was regarding Hinata curiously.

"You're the servant from last night, right," the man asked, tilting his head before nodding. "So, you're the Ace of Spades. That makes a lot of sense actually."

Hinata was about to ask what he meant before Suga cleared his throat.

"Alright, everyone, let's start the meeting." Suga announced and all eyes turned to him. "First order of business, I think we have a new member." He smiled at the new man. "If you wouldn't mind introducing yourself?"

The man nodded and Hinata noticed Yahaba and Iwaizumi straighten in attention.

"I'm Oikawa Tooru," the man answered, mouth turning up into a grin with a definite mischievous edge. "Glad to finally meet you."

Further down the table, Kuroo snorted. "Right in time, too."

"Which is the second thing I want to know," Tsuki huffed, crossing his arms. "Where in the world have you been for years?"

"And why do our dear Iwaizumi and Yahaba both already seem to know you," Yukie asked, sending Iwaizumi a smirk. "Holding out on us, eh?"

Iwaizumi and Oikawa exchanged a look before Oikawa grinned, Iwaizumi rolling his eyes at his side.

"Well," the new King of Hearts began, "it's kind of a funny story…"

ooooooo

That afternoon-having once again avoided the clutches Asahi's infirmary with minor help from Noya-Hinata snuck through the castle, trying to avoid both Tsuki and Yachi.

Really, it wasn't like he was _trying_ to be a bad patient. He just wanted to go to the meeting...and see the rest of the Suits off….and maybe spend some time with Kageyama. _Then_ , he'd head back to the infirmary definitely.

Besides, he'd made it through much worse than a mostly healed stab wound….probably….well, it hardly even hurt anymore, honest!

Hinata checked around the next corner for signs of the Jack or his assistant before slowly easing around and-

"Hey! Wait!"

Jumping about a foot in the air before clutching his side and stifling a wince.

Okay, not to self: Asahi and Tsuki might have a minor point about the whole not making sudden movements thing.

Then, Hinata looked up and all thoughts of the injury fled.

"It is you," King Yudai said, smiling and breathing heavily from running down the hall. "I...I saw your hair."

"Your Majesty," Hinata greeted politely, already nervous about where this conversation would go. He fought the impulse to glance down at the clearly marked servant attire that he knew he wore.

The smile slowly faded across the former prince's face and he shuffled uncomfortably, glancing down at the Spade's crest embroidered over Hinata's heart.

King Yudai cleared his throat. "I've been meaning to ask you since last night but...um, you're not...well," the King's cheeks colored, "not what I thought you were, are you?"

"No," Hinata admitted.

King Yudai nodded, meeting Hinata's eyes. "You're the Ace of Spades, aren't you?"

Hinata's breath caught and he froze in the middle of the hallway. If Yudai knew that, than he'd probably already pieced together what really happened to his father. Hyakuzawa would have _reason_ to declare war.

King Yudai held up his hands in a calming gesture. "It's alright. You don't have to answer. I think I already know anyway."

"Your Majesty…." Hinata started slowly cut off when King Yudai shook his head.

"No, please, call me Yudai," the King told him, eyes kind. "Please relax, I'm not going to tell anyone, I promise. I just wanted to see if I was right."

Hinata stayed tense, trying gauging to gauge if he could really be telling the truth.

And, really, the surprising thing...Hinata actually believed he was.

Yudai smiled again, the same slightly shy one that he'd had months ago when walking a lost stranger around the city.

Then again, maybe this wasn't surprising at all.

"I'm sorry about your father," Hinata said, abruptly.

Yudai's brow furrowed, mouth turning back down again as it did and Hinata...Hinata could almost regret it-not for the dead King, never for him, but for his son.

Eventually, Yudai shook his head, glancing away and at bird's nest right outside the window. "Don't be. You don't have to be, he doesn't deserve it. My father...my father was a terrible, ruthless man. This was always going to be his fate...His or yours."

Yudai looked back at Hinata. "Did you know he tried to have me killed when I was seven?"

Hinata shook his head.

"He ended up killing my nursemaid instead," Yudai continued, voice dry until suddenly he huffed out a humorless laugh. "I'm sure that whatever his latest plan was didn't have a nice ending for me either. I just thought…" the king sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I just thought that at least this time, I might be in a position to stop him. That this plan would at least give me a chance to help some people, even if it wouldn't be my own people."

"But now," King Yudai said, a determination and a fierce sort of joy taking over his face. "Now, I can finally help all of them. Now, I finally have the power to change Hyakuzawa for the better."

"I'm glad," Hinata said, finally speaking up.

"Thank you," Yudai said before meeting Hinata's eyes with an unbearably soft expression. " _Thank you._ I couldn't...I would never have been able to stand there last night if it hadn't been for you."

Hinata smiled. "Anything for an ally."

Yudai paused before nodding. "An ally, then….Since we're allies, would you mind if I asked you one more question?"

Hinata shrugged. "Depends on the question."

Yudai's smile grew, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "What's your name?"

Hinata paused, surprised before laughing.

"My name's Hinata."

ooooooo

By the time Hinata finally made it down to the courtyard, it appeared that everyone except for the Suits had already left.

Which kind of suited Hinata just fine.

Kenma was the first to see him, giving him a nod and a small smile that alerted Tsukishima and Kageyama beside him.

The Jack of Spades rolled his eyes. "Should've known you weren't actually going to stay in the infirmary."

Hinata grinned, unrepentant.

"Aww, I can't believe I gotta wait all the way until Fall to see you guys again," Bokuto said, pouting before a sudden smile broke out. "Just wait though! Clubs' festival is going to be even _more_ exciting."

"Fates help us," Akaashi said dryly but his lip was twitching up, too.

Yukie hummed, slowly peeling an orange. "Well, I suppose we still have the bets from the Aces' Match to settle. That always livens things up."

Kuroo jostled his arm against Hinata. "You planning on coming?"

Hinata hesitated and Suga laughed. "I suppose we might be able to bring Spades' official manservant along with us."

Suga turned back, handing a small piles of books over to Lev-who looked down at them back up to Suga with not a small amount of hero worship.

"We better get going," Iwaizumi said, looking towards the sky and then down to Oikawa. "Going to be a crazy time at the palace once they see this guy riding with us."

Oikawa's head shot up. "Oh, speaking of the palace, I almost forgot. Iwa-chan, visit your grandmother more!"

"Wait, what," asked Iwaizumi, looking so bewildered that Yahaba had to hide a laugh behind his hand.

"Sounds like you have another interesting story ahead of you," Suga commented, but his eyes were trained on the castle wall and Hinata followed the gaze to see Daichi, the Knight's Captain, looking back down. Taking note of the softness in Suga's expression, Hinata wondered if the Queen had his _own_ story to tell.

The courtyard gate opened and the royal guests started slowly making their way out, still caught in idle conversation as they did.

Beside Hinata, Kageyama came to stand and slipped a hand down to intertwine with his.

Hinata leaned into him.

"Good festival, wasn't it," Hinata commented. "You know...in the end."

Kageyama nodded, staring out at the departing Suits.

"I'm kinda sad it's over," Hinata admitted before turning up to Kageyama with a grin. "I guess we're back to the boring old normal stuff now, huh?"

Kageyama shrugged. "Actually, I was thinking about doing something a bit different tonight."

"Yeah," Hinata asked, curious.

"I was just wondering," Kageyama began, hand tightening around Hinata's, "if you could show me around the city? I think….I'm ready."

Hinata looked up at him, slowly raising on his toes to land a short, soft kiss against his King's lips.

"I'd love to."

ooooooo

And up above, on a rarely used balcony and completely unnoticed, stood two Fates, observing the courtyard below.

"Aww, look at that, Wakatoshi," Tendou cooed, leaning a bit too far over the balcony to technically be considered safe. "Your little King's finally learning to play nice with the rest of the Suits. You must be so proud?"

"He's not _my_ anything," Ushijima said flatly before tilting his head in consideration. "But...yes, I am pleased that the Young King seems to be acclimating well."

"That's the spirit, Wakatoshi," Tendou cheered, conjuring up two glasses and a decanter of the kingdom's best wine. "Gotta let them out of the nest someday. I kept telling you if you let _me_ try to convince him, we would've gotten this handled ages ago."

Ushijima raised an eyebrow. "I'm fairly certain the kingdom wouldn't survive that degree of your help."

"Ha!" Tendou shoved a filled glass at Ushijima. "And people say you don't joke."

"I was not joking."

" _Anyway_ , it's kind of sad, isn't it?" Tendou sighed, looking back down. "Seeing them all grown up and not needing our help anymore...Almost brings a tear to my eye."

Ushijima coughed into his hand, offering an awkward pat to Tendou's back. "There is no need for that. Cards will always need its Fates."

Tendou brightened immediately, turning back to Ushijima with stars in his eyes. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Plus, that Ace is too fun _not_ to keep playing with!...I suppose this does give us some free time though, right?"

"Our work is never complete," Ushijima disagreed, trying to subtly hand back the wine glass.

Tendou didn't accept it.

"Come on, Wakatoshi," cajoled the Fate of Chaos, gesturing to Suits below. "Just for _one_ night. Don't you think we've earned it?"

There was a moment of consideration where Ushijima looked down at the glass-filled with one of the best and strongest drinks the Card kingdom could offer-then started down long and hard at the new King of Hearts before finally, decisively, tipping the glass up and drinking it all in a single gulp.

"I suppose our Suits can manage alone for a single night."

Tendou grinned, already refilling the glass.

 _ooooooo_

 _20 Years Prior_

" _...Mama?"_

" _Yes, dear?"_

" _The Spades story has a happy ending, right? Everything turns out okay?"_

" _Oh, my darling little Ace, the Story of the Card Kingdoms has as happy ending as you chose to make it. I promise."_

" _...Then I'm going to make it the best ending! Okay, Mama?"_

" _That sounds wonderful, my bright sun. Make it the very best you can."_

 _ooooooo_

A/N: Wow. It's honestly hard to believe this story is finally done. Thank you so much for all your support throughout this! I say this often but seriously you guys are the best and I have loved reading every one of your reviews. Thanks, guys! ALSO, I do have a sequel to this planned so if you're interested just follow me or this story and I'll post a notification when I start posting. That said, it will probably be a month or two while I finish my other current story (the second one in my Harry Potter/ Haikyuu AU). Last, as always, thanks you for reading and hope you enjoyed!


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